


The Docks

by KARMA (MeSuBe84)



Category: The Boondock Saints RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-21 11:23:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4827284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeSuBe84/pseuds/KARMA





	1. Chapter 1

Ryanne and Connor sat on the edge of the dock smoking a cigarette, Connor flicking his ashes into the murky water. They were taking a break from the after work rush at the bar, which Ryanne owned. She took it over less than a year before and was still getting used to the constant chaos of running her own business. The bar was conveniently named "The Docks". She smiled when she had first seen it and thought it a little cheesy but in the end decided to stick with it. The old man who owned the bar before her had loved the place so she pretty much kept things the same with a few of her own personal touches thrown in. The old man, Marty, would occasionally stop in to see how she was faring. She was doing well. Business was good and there wasn't an Irishman in Boston that didn't love to drink so she didn't have to worry about business. It took a few months for the regulars to warm up to an non-native but it helped that she had an Irish name. "Ryanne" was given to her by her father who had Irish blood and loved his culture. Although she was always having to correct people on the pronunciation "Rye-ann", she loved the name her father had given her. She even looked a little Irish with her dark hair and blueish green eyes but her skin was tanned due to the Spanish from her mother's side. She was aware of the way men stared at her but it never went to her head. She always wanted to be taller or her hair to be straighter and not so thick. She could always find something wrong when she looked in the mirror. She didn't spend much time worrying about such trivial things though, not when she had a business to run. Her family thought she was crazy for up and moving to the east coast just because she was bored of California. There was nothing there for her anymore after her mother had died. Her father begged her stay but she needed a change and she had always loved Boston. The winters were rough and the town smelled of fish most of the time but she loved it. Her father eventually caved and blamed the Irish blood for giving her such a wild spirit. So here she was, sitting  outside the bar enjoying the silent but comfortable moment with her friend and bouncer. Connor MacManus had strolled into The Docks one night and had sat at the corner of the bar for hours slowly sipping between a beer and a shot of whiskey. He had barely spoken a word but was polite enough. She had noticed his thick Irish accent and tried to make conversation about where he was from but he said very little so she left him to his drinks. He had proven useful later that evening when a drunk had accused Ryanne of wrongly charging him and refused to pay for his drinks. The second the man screamed obscenities into Ryanne's face, Connor was off of his stool and had thrown the man out the door onto his ass. Ryanne was so impressed that she offered Connor a job on the spot. He agreed to bounce for her but accepted very little pay. She had always found that odd. He agreed to accept half of the night's tips but would take no more. He was loyal and after getting to know him, she found that he was hilarious and quite the prankster. People automatically respected him and once they saw that he adored Ryanne, they respected her too. She couldn't believe that was almost a year ago. They saw each other almost every day expect Sundays which Connor insisted on having off to attend church. There was never any romance between them even though he was incredibly handsome and well built. It was an automatic friendship and they were practically inseparable. It still bugged her that there was so much that he hadn't told her about himself, it was as if something was missing from him....he wasn't complete. All he would say was that it was "some heavy shit" and so she didn't pry. This day though, she knew something was bothering her friend. He was strangely quiet, just like he was the first day he had walked into The Docks. He flicked his cigarette into the water and pulled his pea coat tighter around himself. Ryanne nudged Connor's arm. "Hey, what's up? Something is wrong." Connor stared out at the water and Ryanne noticed the pained expression on his face. He pulled another cigarette out of his pack and lit it. "Okay", Ryanne said swiping the pack, "That's three in a row. No more until you spill the beans." Connor shrugged, "It's just a bad day Rye. Everyone's got 'em." Ryanne tugged gently on his hair, "yeah buddy I know but this isn't like you. Where's my funny Irishman? I've noticed you being moody a lot more frequently." Connor sighed and sounded annoyed at her pestering. "Don't be a nag. Ya know men hate that." Ryanne chuckled "Yeah I know, that's why I don't have one." Connor grimaced "well that and because you're ugly as a dog's arse." Ryanne smacked Connor upside his head "Fuck you, you damn Mick! I know i'm not ugly! Besides, I heard you call me beautiful once." Connor gave a slight laugh and pinched her cheek. "Aye, that's cuz you're a nosy little shite that eavesdrops on my conversations." Ryanne stuck her tongue out at Connor in a childish manner. He shook his head and looked back out at the water and stared at the passing fishing boats before he spoke again. "Rye, I'm afraid that if ya knew certain things about me, you'd think different about our friendship. I'm not sure I want to take that gamble. All jokes aside, you're one of my best friends. I know I can tell ya anything but i'm not so sure I should." Ryanne was shocked at Connor's honesty. She knew he cared for her but she wasn't aware how deeply. She tried to lighten the mood. "What do you mean ONE of your best friends? I'm your only friend Con. You never talk or hang out with anybody else." She saw the sadness in his eyes. "No lass, you're not. I have a best friend, one that I've had my whole life" Ryanne was confused as she tried to think of the last time she had seen Connor with anyone else. Besides the occasional one night stands, he was only ever with her or he was alone. "Okay, I give up. Who is this mystery BFF?" He looked at her and his expression broke her heart. "My brother" Connor said and a small smile appeared on his lips as he reminisced. "My brother Murphy.....he's my twin."

 


	2. Chapter 2

Ryanne's eyes bulged and she choked on her smoke. "Excuse me?! Brother? TWIN brother?!" Connor patted Ryanne on the back "Aye girl, breathe, that's it." Ryanne stared at him in shock. She couldnt't believe that she never knew this information. Why had Connor never told her about his brother? "I'm sorry, let's back this train up here for a second. You're telling me that you have not only a brother but a TWIN brother. Am I hearing this right?" Connor smirked at her and nodded "Aye." Ryanne scoffed "Like identical twin?" Connor shook his head, "Fraternal twin. We don't look a whole lot alike but we do dress the same sometimes, have the same mannerisms, eat, drink, pretty much do everything the same and we're always together." Connor's eyes were sad, "I really miss him." Ryanne took a long drag of her cigarette. "So where is he? Did he pass?" Ryanne figured that maybe this was why Connor seemed so upset lately. Maybe he was mourning his brother. "Nah, he's alive my brother is. Very much alive. He's in Ireland with our Ma" Ryanne was confused and frankly tired of dragging the information out of Connor but she tried to remain patient. "Okay, so why is he in Ireland and not here with you or why are you not in Ireland with him?" Connor closed his eyes and began to play with the rosary that he always wore around his neck. "Did your brother give that to you?" Connor shook his head "Our Ma gave 'em to each of us when we first left home." He kissed the large cross on the end of the rosary and tucked it back into his shirt. "Look Rye, I can't get into details with ya right now. Murphy can't be here with me for certain reasons but when the time is right, he'll come. Besides, our Ma needs lookin' after. She ain't well." Ryanne continued to pry, "Well if she isn't well, shouldn't you be there with her too?" Connor sighed "I need to be here. Everything will make sense one day but for now, I need ya to trust me. It's best if ya don't know everything just yet." Well that wasn't fair. It made sense to her now why Connor had been so down. She had read that twins shared a special connection that no one but them could understand. Connor was incomplete, he was missing something. His other half. She wondered if Murphy was feeling the same way about Connor. "I really wish you would tell me why he can't be here. Is he in trouble? Are you in trouble Connor?" Connor brushed her bangs out of her face before he stood up and smiled down at her. "Not now Lass." Ryanne grumbled her annoyance. "You know you can tell me anything, I wont judge you. I promise....even if it's really bad." Connor offered her his hand to help her up. she took it and once she was on her feet, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Aye, I know ya wouldn't. You're a good person Rye but a better friend and woman, there is none." Ryanne sighed. It was obvious she wasn't going to win this round. She kissed Connor's cheek. "I love you, you irish prick, although I don't know why." Connor grabbed her in a playful headlock, "It's cuz i'm devilishly handsome and the only man within a 100 miles that can stand to be near ya!" Ryanne screamed as she tried to get out of Connor's strong hold. "Get off!" Her yell was muffled but Connor let her go immediately. He laughed hard at her red face and mussed up hair. "Ugh! You're such a tool sometimes!" she yelled as she straightened her clothes and tried to pat her hair back into place. Connor reached out and fixed a wild strand that she had missed. She swiped at him but missed. Connor laughed again, "Aye you're a feisty one. Ya remind me of my brother with your quick temper. Maybe that's why I took to ya so fast." Ryanne tossed his pack of smokes back at him. "Yeah well I ain't your brother but i'm still your boss so get your Irish ass back to work!" Connor gave her a mock salute before following her back into the bar.

Nirvana's "Teen Spirit" blared through the speakers. Most of the daytime regulars had abandoned the bar and there was only a few men left looking miserable. "Ash must be workin' tonight!" Connor shouted over the music. Ryanne went behind the bar and grabbed the remote for the jukebox and turned the music down. The men at the bar thanked her. She gave them an apologetic smile just as cute, slim girl came through the doors of the back room carrying a bucket of ice. "Ash, what did I tell you about the music? You're gonna blow my speakers." The girl ignored Ryanne as she went bounding up to Connor with her best bedroom eyes. "Hey Con, how's it hangin'?" Connor winked at the girl and gave her a dashing smile that would make most women cream themselves. He gave a low whistle "Good evenin' Love. My my, aren't we lookin' lovely this evenin'? That outfit is uh.... an interestin' choice." The girl squealed with delight at Connor's attention and then gave a little twirl to give him a full view. "Do you like my hair Connor? It's new." She said as she tucked a strand behind her ear. Connor nodded his head in approval. "It's very nice Ash. Looks great." Ash blew him a kiss before skipping back behind the bar with Ryanne. "Did you hear that Boss? He said I looked lovely!" She clapped her hands in front of her face like an excited child with a new toy. Ryanne shook her head "Ash, stop hanging on Connor and get these glasses washed please. I'd like to get out of here at a decent hour tonight." Ash scowled "but you didn't even comment on my outfit." Ryanne took in the young woman in front of her. She had hired Ashling only part time so the girl could make some extra money. Ashling was studying for her Masters during the day and worked at the bar from Friday through Sunday. She had been begging for more hours but Ryanne didn't want work to get in the way of Ashling's studies. Ash was only twenty five and for the most part was a very mature and capable young woman but in some ways she was still a child. She could be very naive, especially when it came to men. Ryanne had taken it upon herself to watch out for Ashling and in many ways considered her like a younger sister. She was even letting Ash stay in her spare bedroom until she finished school and found a good job. It was also easy to keep an eye on her that way. Ash tended to get mixed up with some undesirables. Her style also changed every week. This week appeared to be grunge week and Ash pulled out all the stops with her outfit. She donned tiny fringe cut off shorts with black combat boots and striped tights. She wore a low cut tank top that showed too much cleavage in Ryanne's opinion. She completed her outfit with a flannel shirt tied around her waist. Her crystal blue eyes were rimmed with smudged black eyeliner and she had dyed her shoulder length hair to a firey red. Ryanne often wondered why Ashling tried so hard with her physical appearance. She didn't even need to wear makeup yet she piled it on anyway. She was a very attractive girl with a slim body, perky breasts and an ass that wouldn't quit. Ryanne gave Ashling a small smile and took her by the shoulders. "Honey, you know you don't need to try so hard right? You're beautiful without all this stuff. Just be yourself and that will attract the right people." Ashling rolled her eyes and motioned her head towards Connor "but I want to attract HIM! He's soooo hot and that accent? Ugh!" Ryanne shook Ashling and snapped her fingers "Focus! Look Ash, Connor is a great guy but trust me, he ain't the one for you. Even if he was, why would you think he'd be attracted to this look? Connor goes for brains and wit. You're smart and pretty and for the most part have a good head on your shoulders. Use that to attract a man, not your physical assets. Trust me." Ashling stomped her foot dramatically. "Fine, I'll stop trying so hard....but don't you think I look just a little bit cute?" Ryanne laughed, " Babe, you'd make Cobain very proud." That seemed to satisfy her for the moment as she went about her duties.

Time flew by that night and before she knew it, Ryanne was shouting last call. The last few stragglers paid up and Connor saw them to the door before locking it behind them. He made a final sweep of the bar to make sure everyone was out. He helped clean up the few remaining empties and took out the trash. Ashling was asleep at the end of the bar. When it was slow, Ryanne allowed her to do her homework so she wouldn't get behind. Connor began putting Ashling's books back into her bag. "I'm gonna go count down my drawer and get the deposit ready. I'll try to hurry." Connor waved his hand as he poured himself a shot. "Aye, I'll wait 'til you're done." Connor always insisted on leaving the bar with her and would wait as long as it took. He never once complained. Thirty minutes later Ryanne was finished and had tucked the day's deposit safely away in her purse. She would deposit it the next day before going into work. She grabbed her coat and met Connor and Ash. Ash was still sleeping so Connor picked her up off the barstool and carried her in his arms. Ryanne laughed "oh, she's gonna be so pissed that she was asleep for this." Connor carried Ash out to Ryanne's truck and gently placed her in the middle of the seat. Ash gave a little snore but didn't wake. Connor watched Ryanne as she locked up the bar and then opened the driver door for her to get in. Connor slid in next to Ash and then rested her head on his shoulder. Ryanne cranked up the heat and headed home. She smiled as she looked over at Ashling's peaceful face as she snored on Connor's shoulder. "You know she has a huge crush on you." Connor chuckled. "Aye, she's a good kid. She can do better than the likes of me." Ryanne pulled into her driveway. She only lived about twenty minutes from the bar but Connor insisted that he always see her home, especially at night. Ryanne unlocked the door to her old Victorian style home as Connor carried Ashling from the truck. He carried her to her bedroom and placed her gently on her bed. Ashling's eyes fluttered open for a moment and she gave Connor a tiny smile before falling back to sleep. Ryanne watched from the doorway as Connor removed Ashling's boots and then covered her with a blanket. He kissed her forehead. "Sleep well Cailin Milis (sweet girl)" Connor turned out the light and closed her door before joining Ryanne in the living room. "Are you hungry?" Ryanne asked. Connor shook his head. "Nah, I'll be alright. I'm gonna head on home." Ryanne went into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a paper bag. "Here, leftovers. I know you haven't eaten today and I know for a fact that you don't have shit in that crap apartment of yours." Connor chuckled as he took the bag. "Ya know me well." Ryanne walked him to the door. "Are you sure you don't want to crash on the couch or just take my truck and you can pick me up tomorrow for work?" Connor leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Stop naggin'. I enjoy the walk. I'll call ya tomorrow." Ryanne sighed. She was hoping they could talk more about Murphy the long lost brother and why they were separated. "Alright well be safe and text me when you get home." Connor nodded as he went down the steps "Aye Mother" he called sarcastically over his shoulder. Ryanne watched for a few moments as he walked down the dark, quiet street and into the cold night. She locked the door and went into her room and undressed for bed. She was so tired, she didn't even wash up but instead collapsed face first onto her king size bed. About ten minutes later her phone buzzed with a text. She smiled sleepily as she read the four words "I'm home. Love ya." She sent back "Love ya 2" before switching off her light and falling into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Ryanne found herself being shaken. "Rye...Rye wake up." Ryanne moaned and rolled over opening one eye. Connor stood over her bed and smiled down at her. "What are you doing?" She groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. "Come on get up. I have some news." He sounded so excited. Ryanne looked at the bedside clock, "Damn it Connor, It's six am!" Connor clapped his hands, "Up and at 'em girl! No time to waste!" He pulled her blankets off of her and then gave a wolf whistle. "Sexy pj's!" Ryanne, remembering that she was only wearing her panties and a tank top, grabbed the blankets and covered herself. "Oh my god, get out you perv!" Connor laughed as he left her room. Ryanne growled as she pushed herself out of bed and stomped to the restroom to wash up. She was not a morning person and hated being woken up early. Connor better have something important to say....come to think about it, she wondered how the hell he had gotten into the house. She threw on her robe and walked out to the kitchen where Connor was making coffee. "You know I hate being woken up this early. How'd you get in here anyway?" Connor handed her a mug of steaming hot coffee. "I know where ya hide the spare key so I let myself in." She was about to comment when he cut her off "drink your coffee. I put a touch of Bailey's in it for ya." Ryanne scoffed "Connor its six in the morning." He looked at her dumbfounded. "So what's your point?" "Well" she said, "my point is that its six in the morning. Don't you think it's a little early for booze in the coffee?" He scoffed, "I'm Irish, it's never too early for booze. Drink up." Ryanne shook her head and sipped at her mug. She had to admit it tasted really good. They sat there quietly for a few moments sipping their coffee before Ryanne broke the silence. "Okay so you got me out of bed, now what? It had better be good." Connor stared at his coffee for a moment. "I spoke to my brother this mornin'." Ryanne perked up. This was going to be good. "A friend of ours has been in touch. He's got a way to get Murph over here but it ain't gonna be cheap. They have to go through...certain channels." Ryanne raised an eyebrow, "What kind of channels?" Connor looked at her cautiously, "Illegal ones." This was getting weird and she had a feeling that she was going to end up involved somehow. "Okay Con, I need you to tell me everything, it's time." Connor stood and paced the kitchen. "Look, I wasn't kiddin' when I said there are things ya can't know. It's for your safety." Ryanne slammed her mug down on the table, spilling some coffee. "No, enough bullshit! Are you gonna need my help?" Connor nodded. "Then tell me." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Murph and I both left at the same time but I needed to come back to take care of some business. It's not safe for us to be together right now. There are certain people lookin' for us." Ryanne could tell this was going to get a lot worse and she immediately got a knot in her stomach. "What have you gotten yourself into?" Connor kneeled down next to her and took her hand. "You said no judgin' right?" Ryanne swallowed hard and nodded. "We done some things...bad things. Not because we're bad but because they needed to be done." She stared at him and waited for him to continue. She was scared that he wouldn't reveal anymore if she interrupted him. "People got hurt Rye. People got killed." She could feel tears stinging her eyes. She had no idea that his secrets were this serious. She tried to find her voice, "You....did you kill someone Connor? Did you both kill someone?" He didn't need to say anything. The look in his eyes said everything. Was her best friend admitting to murder? She felt sick to her stomach. She stood up on shaky legs. "I need a moment." She began to walk to her bedroom when Connor pulled her back, "Rye please..." she waved him off. "Just give me a minute." She went into her bathroom and vomited up her coffee and Bailey's. She sat on the floor and cried silent tears. She never thought Connor capable of actually killing someone. She felt as if she never knew him at all. She tried to make any excuse for him. Maybe it was self defense, maybe he had no choice, maybe he did it to protect his brother? After all, she would do the same thing for family wouldn't she? She could not bring herself to believe that Connor was a bad person who would kill in cold blood. Not without reason. He was a rational guy and he was so religious. She decided right there on her bathroom floor that she would stand by him, no matter what. He was her friend and she wouldn't let him down when he needed her the most. She got up and brushed her teeth and walked back out to the living room where Connor was pacing and biting his nails to the nub. He stopped and stared at her with hopeful eyes that melted her heart. He reminded her of a little boy at that very moment and she knew that she would go with him to hell and back if necessary. "Okay" she said, "what do you need me to do?" Connor breathed a sigh of relief and crossed the living room to gather her in his arms. They hugged each other tight for a moment and when he pulled back she could see his eyes watering. "I'll owe ya for the rest of my life." She patted his arm and then sat down. "What's the next step?" Connor sat next to her, "I have some money saved. The tips that ya share with me, I've saved 'em up but i'm still a tad short." Ryanne nodded "How much?" Connor blew out a large huff of air. "About two grand." Ryanne's eyes widened. "Why so much? Are you flying him in on a damn G-6? Connor shook his head. "Cargo ship. it's not only for the travel but for protection as well. Sneakin' someone into the country ain't cheap but I promise ya, he's worth it Rye." For two thousand plus he better be. "I've got some money in savings, it's yours. What else?" Connor gave her a small smile, "I'll also need a car." Ryanne nodded. "I still know a guy that owns a chop shop, he could probably hook me up. It won't be anything fancy though." Connor clapped his hands together, "perfect, the less conspicuous, the better." Ryanne stood up. "I'll go call him." Ryanne got her phone from her room and dialed her friend Gary. He was more like a love sick ex and she would probably have to go to dinner with him but she would suck it up for Connor. After a little smooth talking on her part and an agreement to meet for drinks, Gary stated that he would personally deliver the vehicle to her house. She asked him to take it through the back alley, telling him that it was a surprise for Ashling. He agreed to have it there in a few hours. Ryanne returned to the living room. "Done. It'll be here in a few hours. I should probably get to the bank." Connor hugged her again. "You've no idea what this mean to me. You'll never understand how much I appreciate ya Ryanne." She smiled at him. "I'm gonna go get dressed. Get Ash out of bed for me will you? She needs to get to school."

Fourty five minutes later, Ryanne was showered and dressed. She found Ashling in the kitchen eating breakfast and Connor washing the coffee mugs. Ashling was back to her normal style of ripped jeans and a t-shirt and surprisingly no makeup. Ryanne quietly watched her little family. Even though she was technically helping a wanted man do something illegal, she couldn't help but feel emotional. Ashling smiled at her and then furrowed her brow. "Hey are you okay?" Ryanne feigned a smile, "Yeah of course. Connor and I have some errands to run. Do you want a ride to school?" Ashling placed her bowl in the sink, "That'd be great. I'll get my stuff." The three of them were on the road a few minutes later and on the way to the community college. Ryanne pulled up to the campus and Ashling hoped out of the back of the truck. "I'll see ya guys later, thanks!" She waved as she jogged away and disappeared among the other bodies of students. Ryanne headed to the bank. Conveniently, she'd be able to deposit the bar money as well as get the money for Connor. "So tell me about Murphy. what's he like?" Connor shrugged, "He's a lot like me in many ways, except he's impulsive and a bit of a hot head. I'm a wee bit more rational, I think before I react. He curses up a storm, smokes like a chimney. We bicker a lot but it's all in good fun. Murph is a good man to have at your back. Ya won't find anyone more loyal then him...except maybe you." He winked at her. "He sounds charming. Is he....good looking?" Connor cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why? Are ya interested? Want me to set ya up?" Ryanne laughed, "No! I was just curious if he was as much a ladies man as you." Connor snorted, "Aye he's good lookin' but what'd ya expect? He's related to me." Ryanne rolled her eyes and made a vomiting motion. Connor laughed loudly and then added, "One thing about Murph is that he's shy with the lassies. He could have any woman he wanted but he don't talk to no one. It takes a bit for him to open up so when ya meet him, don't take it personal. He's not much of a talker if he don't know ya." Ryanne nodded, "I won't take it personal if he doesn't like me. I don't expect him to trust me right away or at all. I get it." Connor gave her a smile, "Oh he'll love ya, are ya kiddin'? I've told him all about ya already. He'll forever have your back. Plus, you're easy on the eyes so he'll definitely like ya." Ryanned smacked him arm. she had to admit that she was full of emotions about meeting Murphy. She was nervous, curious and kind of scared. She wasn't sure what she was afraid of more, him being impulsive and possibly dangerous or him taking Connor away from her. She'd hate to lose him but to try and keep him from his brother was incredibly selfish. She would just have to deal with whatever was thrown at her the best she could. She tried not to think about it for the moment. She pulled up to the bank. "I'll wait here" Connor said. Ryanne went into the bank and noticed that her palms were sweating profusely. She approached the teller and made the bar deposit. When the teller asked if she needed anything else, Ryanne nodded and said "two thousand dollars." The teller looked at her confused and Ryanne quickly added "From my personal account. Sorry, it's been a weird day." The teller chuckled awkwardly and passed Ryanne a slip to fill out for the withdrawal. As Ryanne waited she began getting more and more nervous. She didn't understand why, it's not like she was robbing the bank. She was only using the money to smuggle a stranger into the country who was possibly a dangerous criminal. No big deal. It was just murder. The word "murder" echoed in her head and she swallowed hard. It took her a moment to realize that the teller was speaking to her. "I'm using it to buy a car" Ryanne blurted out. The teller gave her a strange look and then said "yeah, that's nice. I need your ID please." Ryanne fumbled with her wallet and handed over her ID. The teller finished up the transaction and asked how Ryanne wanted the money. "Uh, whatever is easiest." The teller rolled her eyes and counted out the money in large bills before placing it in an envelope and handing it to Ryanne. Ryanne tucked it into her purse, thanked the teller and then walked quickly out to her truck. Connor was slouched in his seat smoking a cigarette. Ryanne slid in and exhaled loudly. Connor stared at her, "Jesus, are ya okay? Ya look pale." Ryanne took the cigarette from him and took a long drag. "Connor, I will tell you right now that I am no good under pressure. Just getting money out of the bank, I felt like I was committing a crime. Maybe you shouldn't tell me anything else. What if I get hauled in to the station? What if I fold under questioning?!" Connor laughed and took her face in his hands, "Rye, relax babe. Ya ain't done nothin' wrong yet. I won't let ya get hurt or in any trouble. I promise." Ryanne sighed and nodded her head. She knew she was being dramatic but she had a bad feeling and that usually didn't steer her wrong. "Come on" Connor said, "let's go home."

They arrived back at Ryanne's a few minutes before Gary arrived with the car. "Shit, I knew he'd be early. That was one of the things I couldn't stand about him." She told Connor to wait inside while she went out back to meet Gary. He was standing by her back gate and had a huge grin plastered on his face. Ryanne put on her best smile and batted her eyes. "Gary! So good to see you!" She hugged him and noticed that he held on a little longer than she liked. He looked her up and down, "Wow, you look awesome Rye but that's no surprise." She playfully swatted his arm "So do you, have you been working out?" Gary blushed and looked at his feet. He was a tall, lanky guy with glasses and pock marked skin. She still wasn't sure why she had dated him besides the fact that he made her laugh. "Can you tell? I've been doing a little lifting" He flexed his arm so she could feel his bicep. "OOOH! Look at you! Very nice!" She had to lay it on thick. Gary loved a good ego boost. She used to do it during sex too just to please him. It was the only way she could hurry up and get him off of her. Gary handed her a set of keys to a grey Toyota Camry. "You said something simple, hope this is okay." Ryanne looked the car over and then felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. It was a text from Connor saying "It's good. Now give your boyfriend some tongue action." Ryanne glared back towards the house where she knew Connor was watching from one of the windows. She text back a quick "fuck you" before putting the phone away. "It looks great Gary, thanks so much. Ash will love it." She gave him a kiss on the cheek but before she could turn to leave, he grabbed her arm. "So when can we do dinner? I can't wait." She groaned internally, "Maybe next weekend? My schedule is crazy this week. How about I call you and we'll set something up okay?" Gary nodded and before Ryanne could think, he grabbed her and planted a sloppy kiss right on her lips. She cringed and fought the urge to deck him. When he pulled away he smiled "I'll see ya later baby." She gave him a tight smile and watched as he hopped into his friend's car who had been patiently waiting. When he was out of sight, Ryanne ran back to the house wiping her mouth on her sleeve. When she got inside Connor was about to say something when she cut him off, "Shut up! Just shut the hell up! If you say anything, you're dead." Connor held up his hands in surrender and tried hard not to laugh but was unsuccessful. He burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter and doubled over. "Oh shit! Ya shoulda seen your face! Fuckin' hell that was priceless." Ryanne held up her middle finger. "Fuck off. I've seen some of the dogs you've gone home with." Connor gained control of himself and chuckled, "What did ya see in that guy? He's a fuckin' nerd. Completely retarded." Ryanne sighed, "I don't know, It was a phase I guess and he was funny." She tossed the keys at Connor. "Is there anything else you need?" He had sobered himself and shook his head. Ryanne handed him the envelope containing the money. He took it and placed it inside his coat pocket. "You're doin' a good thing here." Ryanne gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I hope so." Connor took her by the shoulders. "Ya won't see me for a few days, maybe a week or so." Ryanne's eyes widened, "What? why?" Connor smoothed her hair back, "It's alright, I just need to get things in order and make sure everythin' goes smooth. I gotta make sure we're safe before we can come around. No one can know that my brother will be here. As I said before, certain people have it in for us." Ryanne nodded. "I won't say anything. When will I hear from you?" Connor walked to the back door, "I'll text ya when the time comes. Just be careful and don't talk to anyone. If anyone asks, ya don't know where I am." Ryanne nodded, "Be careful, now go get your brother." Connor hugged her tightly "Aye, I'm always careful lass." He pulled back and gave her a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "I love ya." Ryanne tried to hold back her tears, "I love ya too Con." She watched him jog to the car and get in. The second he was gone, she burst into tears. She had no clue when she would see him or if she ever would again.


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks went by and not a word from Connor. Ryanne didn't know what to think. Was he alive? In jail? She thought maybe he had gotten caught trying to sneak his brother over. What if someone had turned him in? She was sick with worry. She knew Connor was capable of taking care of himself but she felt that he had been gone too long. She stared at her phone constantly waiting for a call or text stating that he was alright. After the first week she didn't hear from him, she began calling the hospitals around Boston. She even checked the jail websites to see if he had been arrested. At the end of the second week she drove to his apartment. She never understood why he lived in an half abandoned building but after he had shed some light on his current situation, she understood. She had only been to his apartment once within the past year and she had refused to go back again. It was completely run down and really only inhabited by junkies or the homeless. She had begged him numerous times to stay with her instead of that crap hole as she called it but he refused. She was scared to go there alone but she had no choice. She needed to find him. She stood outside the building for a few moments and tried to muster her courage to go inside. Connor had warned her never to go there without him. She stuck her hand in her coat and felt for her switch blade which she always carried. Once she felt the knife, she felt a little braver and entered the building. She walked up the flights of stairs to the fifth floor. As she approached Connor's apartment she wondered if she should bother knocking. She decided not to. With her knife at the ready she slowly opened the door. She was surprised to find that it was unlocked but once inside she could see why. The apartment was empty except for trash. She looked around at the sad state of affairs. It was just one large room. Everything was out in the open, even the toilet and shower. There was an old wooden table in the corner which was covered with trash and cigarette butts and a small TV. On the floor were two dingy mattresses which were covered in God knows what. She cringed at the thought of Connor sleeping in such filth. There was also an old torn up couch that was littered with beer cans and covered with cigarette burns. It saddened her that her friend felt that he had to live in such a manner. What would possess someone to want to stay here unless they had no other choice? It occurred to her that Connor really must have been hiding out. Trying to stay as hidden as possible. She began to realize tiny facts about Connor. He only worked at night and very rarely went out during the day unless absolutely necessary. She was so confused. Why would he risk being at the bar where someone could recognize him? The occasional cop stopped in for a drink, wouldn't he be worried about that? None of it made sense and probably wouldn't until he explained it all to her. There was no telling when Connor had been in the apartment last. With the door left unlocked, she figured maybe he hadn't planned on going back at all. Loud arguing from the floor above her snapped her back to the present. She closed the apartment door and ran down the stairs, not stopping until she got outside to her truck. Her legs burning, she climbed inside and caught her breath. She tried not to cry as she wondered where the hell Connor could be. She spent the afternoon driving around the city, hoping to find some clue as to where he could be or possibly run into him. After a couple hours she returned home to make dinner and get ready for work. Ryanne tried to keep herself as busy as possible to keep from obsessing about Connor. She tried everything, deep cleaning her house from top to bottom, going to the gym, working extra hours, she even went out with Gary but that was mostly to make good on her promise. Plus, he had been blowing up her phone about having dinner with him.

She met Gary on a Saturday night at a small Italian restaurant. Even though he had been insistant on picking her up from home, she told him that it would be better to meet because she would have to stop by the bar after dinner. She hadn't been on a date in over a year so she figured she would get a little dolled up, even if it was a date with Gary. She chose a pair of dark skinny jeans that really accentuated her butt which she liked. She paired them with black ankle boots and a sexy black sweater that hung off her shoulders. She curled her long hair and applied some eye makeup, just enough smokey eyeshadow to make her blue-green eyes pop. She never wore lipstick so she chose some nude tinted lip balm. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and decided she didn't look half bad. She could really clean up when she wanted to. She grabbed her purse, keys and phone (not to mention her knife) and headed out to meet Gary. She arrived at Cafe Toscana and was not surprised to see that Gary was early. He was sitting at a table and immediately stood when she entered the restaurant. He waved at her and had the large cheesy smile on his face. She chuckled internally as she remembered Connor calling him a nerd which he totally was. Gary was wearing a suit and tie and Ryanne immediately felt under dressed. He had his dirty blonde hair plastered to his head with too much hair gel, except for the one small piece that stood up in the back and refused to go down. She gave him a quick hug and he kissed her cheek, "Wow! Honey you look amazing!" Ryanne smiled and thanked him, "I can't help but feel a little under dressed though." Gary shook his head, "No way, you look great. Very classy." They ordered wine and appetizers and Gary talked non stop about his business. She started to remember why she had stopped dating him. In addition to being obsessively early everywhere he went, being a lousy kisser (and lover), he constantly talked about himself. He would never ask her how she was doing or what was new in her life. Not that she cared anymore, she was only on this date as a thanks for the car. She listened patiently as he rambled on, nodding her head and giving just the right amount of "uh huh, of that's interesting." Ryanne nibbled on a piece of Bruschetta when Gary stopped mid-sentence. "Rye, that's like your third piece, you may want to slow down on the bread." She arched an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me? I wasn't aware you'd be keeping track of my gluten intake." Gary laughed and touched her hand which she immediately pulled away from him. "Sweetie, it's just that we're ordering pasta." Ryanne cocked her head and in a sarcastic tone said, "Well considering this is an Italian restaurant, it'd be kind of hard not to Gary." He gave her an apologetic smile, "Well I know that you're probably trying to watch your figure and consuming too many carbs wouldn't be good for you...with your Hispanic genes and all, you know how curvy Latin women can get." Ryanne seethed. That right there was the main trait that she had forgotten about. He had always tried to tell her what to do. She chuckled evilly and leaned forward, "You also might want to consider what kind of temper Latin women have, not to mention the Irish and I have just enough of both in my genes to make you reconsider that last comment." Gary cleared his throat and looked down at the table. The waitress appeared with more wine and asked if they were ready to order. Before Gary could speak Ryanne said "Nothing for me thanks. I'm trying to watch my figure but you can leave that wine bottle." She eyed Gary, daring him to say something else. Gary gave the waitress a polite smile and shook his head. "I think we'll just stick with the wine and appetizers for now thank you." The waitress walked away and Ryanne filled her wine glass to the rim. "Please finish your story Gary, it was so interesting." She sat back in her chair, crossed her legs and sipped her wine. Gary stuttered a bit before continuing on with his story about work. "I've taken on some work for some new customers. Important guys, lots of cash." Gary's eyes glimmered as he talked about how much money he would be making off of these new customers of his. "I can finally turn things around Rye, I can finally go legit." Ryanne nodded her head. "So who are these guys?" Gary shrugged, "I'm not sure but I know they're big time. Mob possibly, they definitely look like it. Nice suits, jewelry, always carrying around rolls of cash in their pockets. You should've seen the deposit they gave me." Ryanne was suddenly more interested in this story. She wondered if maybe they really were affiliated with the mob, if so, maybe Connor had a run in with them. He said certain people were looking for him and Murphy. "So have you seen these men before?" Gary shook his head, "No, they said they were new in town. I think they're New York guys. They got that kind of attitude about them." Gary continued talking about his new associates and then said "We can finally do all the things we planned." Ryanne stared at him, "What are you talking about?" Gary grabbed her hand, "Remember we always talked about taking a trip to Europe or going on a cruise? We'll be able to do those things now. This new contract is gonna have me set!" Ryanne laughed awkwardly "Uh Gary that's nice and all but we talked about those things when we were dating, we're not dating anymore." Gary looked a bit defeated, "We can try again. I know I can make it work this time and i'll the money to spoil you and buy you nice things." Ryanne took a huge slug of wine, "Gary, money is not the most important thing." He let go of her hand, "It is when you don't have any. Listen babe, we can take a trip to California! You know I've never been and I'd love to meet your dad." Ryanne choked on her wine. This was getting out of hand. Gary was way too clingy and she was going to have to try and let him down easy. "Listen Gary, lets just slow down a bit okay? I'm not ready for a serious commitment right now. I just have too much going on." He furrowed his brow, "That's what you said the first time you broke up with me." Yikes. "Well it's as true now as it was then. Maybe i'll be ready one day but now isn't the time for me." He nodded his head while he drummed his fingers on the table. She could tell he was upset. She kind of felt bad but there was no way that she was going to get romantically involved with him again. She looked at her phone to check the time, "Look, I better go. It's getting late and I still gotta go by the bar. Thanks again for your help Gary and i'm sorry about everything." He nodded but didn't say a word. She kissed his cheek and then turned to leave. As she walked out of the restaurant she could feel his eyes burning into her back. She couldn't help but feel that he was more pissed than disappointed. She hoped he would get over it soon.

Ryanne arrived at the bar during the evening rush. She hoped everything would run smoothly considering she didn't have a bouncer, so far there hadn't been any problems over the last couple weeks. Ashling was working the bar and had done pretty well handling the rush on her own. "How's it been tonight?" Ryanne asked. "Not too bad" Ashling said, "Pretty busy. How was your date?" Ryanne rolled her eyes, "Don't ask. Where's Sarah? I thought she was scheduled for tonight." Ashley began mixing a drink, "She was but she called in sick. It's going around, I've been feeling kind of gross too. My throat hurts." Ryanne touched Ashling's forehead, "You're pretty warm. It should die down soon in here, you can take off early and get some rest." Ashling waved her hand, "It's cool, I'll stick around for a bit. Tips have been pretty good." Ryanne and Ashling ran around tending to the regulars and took turns washing dishes and cleaning tables. Ashling stayed until last call and told Ryanne that she would see her at home. Ryanne took the opportunity to close up early since there was no one left in the bar. She took her time couting down the drawers and doing the receipts. She finshed washing the glasses and began to take out the trash. She stuck her knife in her back pocket and headed out back to the dumpsters. She left the back door wide open for some light. She'd have to remember to have some flood lights installed outside. Connor usually did the trash so that she didn't have to go out in the dark. She was about to head back inside when she heard a strange voice say "A lady shouldn't be all alone in the dark." and then she was grabbed from behind.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryanne screamed and began to kick and flail her arms. She struggled to get free but the man's hold was tight. "Let go of me you fuck!" She stomped her booted heel into the man's foot and it was just enough to throw him off balance. She threw her elbow back and connected hard with his nose, "Jesus Fuck!" he shouted. Ryanne whirled around and threw a right hook to what she hoped was his face. The man gave a grunt and stumbled into the light of the doorway....It was Connor. "God Damn Rye, it's me!" Ryanne's eyes widened, "Connor?! What the fuck?! Are you crazy?!" Connor was holding his nose, "I was just playin'!" She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "My god, you're back! You're here!" Then she began slapping at him. "You shit head! What the hell is the matter with you?!" Connor tried to dodge her assault. "Take it easy ya crazy bitch! I think ya broke my nose!" She pushed him, "Well you deserved it you prick! I could've stabbed you! Why would you do that to me and where the hell have you been?!" Ryanne heard laughter behind her and jumped. There was another man standing next to the dumpster. "Who the hell is this?!" Connor moved his hand and blood started oozing from his nose. "Oh great look what ya did. Oh and that's Murph." Ryanne should've been excited to meet him but she was too pissed off. She pushed Connor aside, "Both of you assholes get inside out of the cold." Ryanne walked to the bar and put some ice inside of a dish rag. Connor sat down on a stool and held his head back. Ryanne tilted his head forward, "Don't lean your head back, you can choke on the blood. Put this ice on it." He stared at her for a second and he could clearly see that she was livid but her eyes were glossy as if she was trying not to cry. He touched her cheek, "I'm sorry Rye. I didn't mean to scare ya so bad, I thought ya would know it was me." She smacked his hand away, "How the hell would I know it was you? It's pitch black out there." He nodded his head, "I was just tryin' to be funny is all." Ryanne rolled her eyes and stood with her arms crossed. Connor looked around, "Where's Murph?" Ryanne had completely forgotten about Murphy and immediately felt bad for ignoring him but she was just so angry in that moment. "Murph!" Connor hollered. "Aye!" Murphy yelled back, "Comin', had to take a piss." Ryanne turned towards his voice and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. She didn't blink as he walked towards her. He was gorgeous. There was enough resemblance between him and Connor to tell they were related but Murphy had a look all his own. He was tall and walked with a sexy swagger that made her mouth go dry. He had wide shoulders and a torso that was muscled well enough to fill out the long sleeve thermal shirt he was wearing. It clung to his chest and arms and his dark jeans hung from his hips just right. Without realizing it, Ryanne licked her lips. He ran a hand through his short, dark, messy hair. He stopped just before her and stared down at her with clear blue eyes. They stared at each other for a second and she noticed that he dropped his eyes lower and ran them back up her body, taking her in. That look alone was her undoing. He was the hottest man she had ever laid eyes on. He gave her a little grin and she melted. He stuck his hand out, "Murphy, it's a pleasure." Ryanne stared at his hand for a brief second before taking it, "Ryanne, the pleasure is mine." He held her hand and asked "Is this the hand ya hit my brother with?" She nodded. Instead of shaking her hand, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it softly. She felt herself sway and fought to steady herself. She gave a small awkward laugh and dropped her hand. Murphy stared at her and was having a hard time keeping his own heartbeat under control. He'd had no idea how gorgeous she was. Connor had said she was attractive but that was a major understatement. He took in the woman before him and reminded himself to breathe. She was short and only reached his shoulder with her boots on. She had long dark hair which hung around her shoulders in loose waves. He wanted to run his hands through it and see if it was as soft as it looked. He was immediately turned on by how awkward she was. She was fidgeting and he noticed that she was biting her bottom lip. His eyes focused on their fullness and it made his mouth water for a taste. His eyes met hers and they were the most beautiful blue green color he had ever seen. They reminded him of the ocean and they glistened with the tears that she had been holding back. "Connor failed to mention how breathtakin' ya are." Ryanne scoffed, "Ha, yeah right but thank you for saying so." He smiled at her and took her hands "I wanna thank ya for everythin' ya done. For me and Connor, I'm forever in your debt." Her eyes watered at the sincerity of his words. She knew he meant them and how much it meant for him to be reunited with his brother. She leaned up on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze. He took the opportunity to run his hand down the length of her hair and wrapped his fingers in it. He breathed her in and his head swam as her perfume invaded his senses. She smelled of fresh jasmine and he wanted the smell to stay with him forever. She whispered in his ear, "I'm so glad you're here Murphy. He was lost without you." He nodded against her, "Aye, as was I but you held him together." She pulled back and he saw the tears running down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumbs, "Come on now, what's this then? No tears love, it's a time to celebrate. Ya got any Irish?" Ryanne laughed, "It's a bar, what do you think?" Murphy rubbed his hands together and walked behind the bar. He grabbed a bottle of Jameson and three glasses and poured them each a drink. Murphy walked back around the bar and as Ryanne was pulling out a stool to sit down, he said "please, allow me." He picked her up effortlessly and set her down on the stool. She gasped, "and they say chivalry is dead." Murphy gave her a wink and handed her and Connor a glass. They each raised them up and Ryanne said "To the MacManus brother's reunion, may they never be apart again" Murphy tipped his glass to her "To Ryanne, without her help, I wouldn't be here now." Ryanne blushed. Connor toasted "Slainte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo 'Health to the men and may the women live forever'" They clinked glasses and tossed back their shots. Connor looked at Ryanne, "Are ya still pissed?" She made a face at him, "Yes! Do you know how worried I've been? I even went to your apartment to look for you." Connor scowled at her. "Rye I told ya not to go there without me" She shrugged, "Well what'd you expect me to do? Sit and stare at the phone? You don't call or text, you know I freak out." He nodded his head and looked at Murphy, "Aye that she does. Has a flair for the dramatics this one." Murphy laughed. "We had to make sure everythin' was all good before we came back. Make sure certain people didn't know we were here." Ryanne nodded "Yeah about that, how are you gonna keep people from talking? I mean, people know what you look like right? Aren't you afraid that word will get around?" The brothers looked at each other and at that same time said "Nah." Ryanne scoffed. It didn't make sense that they would be so careless but they seemed to know what they were doing. Ryanne looked at the bloody rag on the counter. "How's the nose?" She asked Connor. He touched it, "How's it look? I think ya broke it." Murphy looked closely at Connor's nose and felt it, causing Connor to groan. Murphy shook his head, "Nah it ain't broke, she just got ya good. Gonna be sore is all." Connor shot Ryanne a glare. Ryanne held her hands up, "Hey, it was your idea to sneak up on me in the dark. I was just defending myself." Connor poured himself another shot. "Aye I know. Won't happen again." Ryanne hugged him, "I am sorry though and I'm so glad that you're back."

The three stayed at the bar drinking until almost four in the morning. Ryanne was exhausted. "Okay boys, I gotta call it a night. I can't party like I used to." They headed out into the cold night air and walked to Ryanne's truck. She glanced around. "Where's your car?" Murphy rolled his eyes and looked at Connor, "Oh that thing? We had to ditch it since it decided to stop runnin', right after Connor picked me up." Connor shoved Murphy's shoulder, "Fuck off, it ain't my fault alright!" Ryanne shook her head, "Well it's nice to know that I pimped myself out for nothing. Get in." The boys threw their bags in the back of the truck and then the three piled in the front seat. With another grown man squeezed in, it was tight quarters. Murphy was in the middle and Ryanne could smell his scent of whiskey and tobacco. He and Connor bickered as they tried to make themselves comfortable. "Get the fuck over, ya have more room over there!" Murphy yelled at Connor. Connor smacked the back of Murphy's head, "I'm already pressed into the fuckin' door! Why don't ya ride in the back?" Murphy scoffed "Fuck off, it's freezin'" Ryanne laughed, "Enough you two, it's only for a few minutes." Murphy stretched his arm along the back of the seat behind Ryanne's head. "This okay?" He asked. She nodded and noticed the way he inched closer to her when placing his arm. As Ryanne got closer to her house she asked, "Am I dropping you at your place or are you staying over?" Connor shrugged, "We don't have any hot water, is it okay if we just stay the night?" Murphy nodded, "I'd kill for a hot shower." Ryanne didn't like the way those words made her feel. She fought the urge to say, "well you already have killed haven't you?" but she bit her tongue. "Of course you can stay over. I'll make you something to eat too." Ryanne pulled into her driveway and Connor and Murphy followed her inside. Murphy looked around and gave a low whistle, "Nice place, ya own it?" Ryanne smiled proudly and nodded, "Yeah, it's all mine." He nodded and plopped himself down on the couch, "Ya live alone?" he asked. "For the most part" Ryanne answered, "I have a friend staying with me at the moment, otherwise it's just me." Murphy and Connor removed their coats at the same time and Ryanne noticed how similar their movements were. They were totally in sync with each other. Ryanne took some blankets, pillows and towels from the hall closet and set them in the living room. "Do you guys wanna take my room? I can bunk up with Ash for the night." The men looked at her as if she sprouted an additional head. "No way." Murphy said sounding shocked, "A lady should never have to sleep anywhere other than her own bed. We'll make do just fine out here. It's better than a lot of other places we've slept." Connor nodded in agreement, "ya go on now and get some sleep Darlin'. We'll be fine." Ryanne smiled, "Well make yourselves at home and help yourself to anything in the kitchen, should I make you something?" Connor chuckled, "Rye we're fine, go to bed now." She gave each of them a kiss goodnight on the cheek. "Sleep well boys." They smiled at her and at the same time said, "goodnight." Ryanne turned to walk to her room and then stopped short, "Hey Con?" He looked up, "Aye?" He noticed that she was hesitant before she spoke, "You'll be here in the morning right?" Connor walked over to her and hugged her tight, "Aye love, we'll be here, I promise." Ryanne breathed a sigh of relief. She was worried that she would wake up in the morning and they'd be gone. Connor kissed the top of her head, "off to bed with ya." Ryanne went to her bedroom and closed the door. As she undressed and got ready for bed she went over the day's events in her head. She was so happy that Connor was back and that he finally had his brother with him. She found herself smiling as she thought of Murphy. She had a feeling that he would be in her life for a long time. She drifted off to the sounds of Connor and Murphy talking in the living room.

Connor and Murphy spread their blankets out. Connor let Murphy have the couch while he made a bed on the floor. "She's pretty great" Murphy said as he laid down. Connor looked towards Ryanne's room, "Aye, she is. Very rare." Murphy grinned, "Ya didn't tell me she was so hot." Connor laughed, "I knew you'd think so. Ya shoulda seen your face earlier. I thought ya were gonna bust a load in your pants." Murphy hit him with a pillow. "Don't talk like that. She's different that one, a lady." Connor nodded, "yeah she is but a real pain in the arse sometimes." They laughed. "So ya really dig her?" Connor asked. Murphy nodded, "Aye, I do. How come nothin' happened with that two of ya? Ya can't deny she's hot." Connor was silent for a moment before answering, "I don't know honestly. From day one we was just friends. I felt protective of her right away. I ain't blind or nothin', I can acknowledge a beautiful woman when I see one. There just wasn't that attraction ya know? It wasn't there for her either. Every time I looked at her, I thought of you. You're the same in a lot of ways and I guess I just picture her with someone more like you." Murphy nodded and blew out a breath, "She's got more curves than the letter "S" she does. I ain't never seen a woman like her. No one has ever made it hard for me to breathe before." Connor grinned at his brother. He always knew that Murphy and Ryanne would hit it off. "She deserves someone better though" Murphy said. Connor looked confused, "How do ya figure? There's nothin' wrong with ya." Murphy gave a sarcastic laugh, "Come on Con, do ya really think we could have women in our lives? Have a regular relationship with the things we do? Our lives will always be chaos and we'll always be runnin'" Connor was silent. He knew Murphy was probably right but a part of him hoped he was wrong. "Not always brother....not always."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Ryanne was lying in bed when there was a knock at the bedroom door. Covering herself, in case it was one of the guys, she yelled "Come in!" Ashling walked into the bedroom looking half asleep with her hair mussed up and still in her pajamas. "What's up?" Ryanne asked. Ashling rubbed her eyes, "So Connor and some strange man are walking around the kitchen, shirtless...I don't know how to feel about it." Ryanne laughed. "That's his brother Murphy. They showed up last night, he's cool." Ashling's eyes lit up and a mischevious grin spread onto her face. "There's a brother?" Ryanne wagged her finger at Ashling, "Don't even think about it Ash." Ashling groaned and rolled her eyes, "You're no fun." Ashling left the room while Ryanne decided to get up and take a shower. Once she was finished, she threw on her robe and walked out into the kitchen. Connor was sitting at the table drinking coffee while Murphy stood in the doorway of the back door smoking a cigarette. He stood half in, half out and was making sure to blow the smoke outside. He and Connor were speaking to each other in Gaelic. Ryanne took in Murphy's physique as he stood there shirtless. His body was perfectly defined with muscles and displayed several tattoos including Christ's feet on a cross covering his back, a large Celtic cross on his right forearm, Mary Magdalene on the left side of his neck, the name "Noah" on the left side of his chest and the word "Aequitas" on his right hand index finger. Ryanne also noticed a number of scars on Murphy's torso. Just above his left elbow there appeared to be a wound of some sort, either from a bullet or a burn. His right shoulder also appeared to have the same type of scar. As Ryanne stared, she wondered what had happened in Murphy's life to make him acquire such wounds. Ryanne cleared her throat as she entered the kitchen. Murphy quickly put out his cigarette and wafted the smoke out of the door. Connor tipped his coffee mug towards Ryanne, "Mornin' Rye" She smiled at him, "Morning boys. Any coffee left?" Murphy nodded "Aye, I'll get ya some, have a seat." Ryanne gave him a sweet smile, "why thank you Murphy, you're such a gentleman." Connor snorted at that comment. Murphy shot him an angry look as he held  Ryanne's chair out for her to sit down. He couldn't help but stare at her fresh face with no makeup. She was still just as beautiful in the daylight, even with her damp hair and old bathrobe. He couldn't help but wonder what she would look like still wet, fresh out of the shower and standing naked in front of him. He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. He could smell her soap and he wanted badly to bury his face in her neck and breathe her in. Murphy turned his back to her and began to prepare her coffee. "So" Ryanne said, "what's on the agenda for today?" Connor stretched and said " Murph and I got some errands to take care of first thing. Is it okay if we use your truck?" Ryanne nodded, "Sure, you're gonna have to drop me at the bar first though." Murphy set her coffee down in front of her, "we really appreciate it." She nodded and thanked him for the coffee. Ashling came into the kitchen and plopped down at the table. "Oh Ash, this is Murphy, Connor's brother." Ryanne introduced. Ashling's eyes simmered as she stared at Murphy and Ryanne couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, which surprised her. Murphy shook Ashling's hand and gave her a polite smile and nod, "pleasure" he said. Ashling bit her lip and looked at Ryanne, "You have the hottest friends!" Ryanne scoffed and shook her head, "Don't you have to go to school or something?" Ashling stuck out her tongue, "No class today, got cancelled." Ryanne stood up and noticed that Murphy stood up as well, displaying that he was really well mannered. "oh good" Ryanne said, "you can come to work with me today." Ashling rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go get dressed" said Ryanne, "be ready in a few." Murphy couldn't bite his tongue any longer, "Ya need any help gettin' dressed Darlin'?" Ryanne gave him a smile over her shoulder and winked, "maybe next time Champ." Connor laughed as Murphy fell defeated back into his chair. He placed his hand over his heart, "God, she's killin' me." Connor nodded, "Don't they all boy? Devilish creatures they are."

Connor and Murphy dropped Ryanne and Ashling at the bar before going to run their errands. "You're coming back later right?" Ryanne asked. "Aye" Connor agreed, "as soon as we're done, we'll come help." Murphy gave Ryanne a wink as he and Connor drove away. Ashling chuckled, "I think that one likes you." Ryanne blushed and smiled "yeah, he's okay." They headed into the bar and prepared for the rush that was to come later in the day. There was a game on that night and it was sure to get packed so Ryanne and Ashling got busy making sure everything was ready. There was a delivery arriving soon so Ryanne left Ashling to open the bar while she prepared the extra cash drawers and made room in the back for the delivery. Lucky for her, only two short hours later, Connor and Murphy arrived. Just in time to help with the delivery too. Murphy quickly offered to help and assissted with carrying out the empty kegs. Ryanne signed the delivery slips and thanked Roger, the delivery man. Ryanne went into the back room to find Murphy setting  up the new kegs. "Thanks for your help" she said. Murphy smiled at her, "It's no problem, I've worked in a pub before, nothin' to it." Ryanne had an idea. "Would you be interested in helping out around here? You could help Connor keep the rowdy customers in line. I'll pay you of course." Murphy arched a brow, "pay me in what?" Ryanne laughed, "well what would you want?" Murphy looked at her, "I'm not sure ya could afford me Darlin'. I ain't cheap." Ryanne nodded, "well maybe we can talk about payment later. You can think on what you want" Murphy chuckled, "I won't have to think very long girl." She gave him a wicked smile as she walked back out to the bar, he shook his head as he followed behind her. The bar got loud and busy as customers arrived to watch the game. Ryanne was glad that she had called in an extra bartender since she found herself running back and forth constantly. Murphy and Connor watched over the crowd and would occasionally lend a hand carrying buckets of ice or clearing the empties from around the bar. They only had to break up one scuffle between two of the regulars that began arguing over a bad call during the game. Connor was more the peacemaker and ended up having the two men shake hands or risk being thrown out. The two men shook reluctantly and sat back down. Ryanne shook her head at the silliness of men and continued to serve drinks. Murphy watched her curiously as she worked the bar. He took in her every move and noticed the way men went out of their way to talk to her or to make her laugh. She was always polite and laughed at their corny jokes but he especially loved the way she threw her head back and laughed when she actually meant it. She played with her hair a lot and was constantly putting it up and then taking it back down. A few times she caught him staring and would smile at him and wave. He'd instantly look away embarrassed but a few minutes later was back to watching her again. When their eyes would meet, he automatically felt his jeans tighten in the crotch area and would have to awkwardly adjust himself. He'd never wanted a woman so bad before. He wanted to do everything for her but at the same time, wanted to keep his distance. He wasn't the man she needed but he so desperately wanted to be and he hoped that she wanted him just the same. He thought about asking her out but then wondered where he would take her and with what. She deserved the world, not some poor Irishman on the run with nothing in his pocket except a pack of smokes. He prayed one day his luck would change.

After the game ended, the bar started to empty little by little. Ryanne was wiping down tables when Gary walked into the bar. He approached her, "Hey babe, how's it going?" He leaned in and kissed her cheek. Murphy tensed immediately at the gesture and felt his jaw starting to tick. Connor leaned over and told Murphy who the man was and that he was the one who had given them the junker car that had broken down. Murphy instantly became jealous. Ryanne groaned internally but gave Gary a polite smile. "Gary, what are you doing here?" He scoffed and looked around, "This is a bar isn't it? I came to have a drink." Ryanne smiled "well what'll it be?" "Just a beer, Guinness please." Gary said as he sat down. Ryanne went to the bar and pulled the beer from the tap. She walked it back to Gary and set it down in front of him. She turned to walk away when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back roughly so that she sat on his lap. "Stay with me baby." Gary said as he palmed her ass. Ryanne pushed his hand away. "Gary stop, what are you doing?" She attempted to get up but he held her still. Ryanne noticed Connor and Murphy stand up and start to head her way but she held her hand up to stop them. Gary played with Ryanne's hair and lifted it to his nose to sniff it. Murphy felt himself getting hot and began to ball his fists. Connor put his hand on Murphy's shoulder, "Easy brother." Murphy's breathing deepened as he tried to get his temper under control. Ryanne pushed Gary back and started to get angry, "Stop, I have to get back to work. Let me go." Gary leaned up and tried to kiss her mouth but she turned her head. He grabbed the back of her head and forced her still as he planted a sloppy kiss to her mouth. Ryanne struggled out of his grasp and instinctively slapped him. Gary's face turned red and he quickly back-handed her across the face causing her to fall to the floor. Connor moved forward before Murphy pushed him back, "I got this." Gary stood up and was over Ryanne, "You stupid bitch! That's what you get! Think you can treat me like that?" He reached down to grab her again but was suddenly thrown backwards. He looked up to find Murphy standing over him. Murphy delivered a hard kick to Gary's gut, who then rolled over and vomited on the floor. Murphy grabbed him by his shirt and began raining blow after blow to Gary's face. Ryanne watched in shock as Murphy continued the assault. Fearing that he would go too far, she began yelling at him to stop. Connor helped her up from the floor and held her to him. "Connor stop him! He's gonna kill him!" Connor quickly approached but then stopped and grabbed the glass of Guinness from the table. "Murph!" Connor yelled. Murphy turned to him, grabbed the glass and then smashed it over Gary's head. Only then did Connor pull him back and held on to him. "Alright brother, alright. He's had enough now. Ya done good." Murphy looked at Ryanne and noticed the terror on her face. Her lip was split and bleeding. He walked to her quickly and took her face in his hands. "Are ya alright? I'm sorry he got that far, he won't be doin' that again. I'll never let him hurt ya again Ryanne, I promise." He kissed her forehead and she noticed the amount of blood on his hands from Gary. She didn't know whether to be turned on or terrified. Frankly, she was a little of both. No one had ever defended her the way he had but the anger that was in him and the look on his face as he punished Gary, was enough to terrify anyone. As Ashling ran over and handed her a wet rag for her lip, Ryanne watched Connor and Murphy pick Gary up and take him out the back door. "If ya know what's good for ya boy, ya best keep from around here." Connor told him. Murphy leaned down and grabbed Gary by the hair causing him to groan loudly, "Aye, and if ya ever come near Ryanne again, they'll be no one to protect ya motherfucker. I'll cut your fuckin' throat and they won't ever find your body. It'll be as if ya never existed." Connor pulled him back. "That's enough brother, ya scared him well. Let's leave Ol' Gary to think about what he's done." They closed the back door and went inside. Ashling was tending to Ryanne and Murphy noticed the way she looked at him with fear in her eyes. There seemed to be lot more about Murphy than she realized. The only question was, how bad was it going to get and how soon would she find out? 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Ryanne decided to stay home. She was reluctant to go back to the bar in case Gary showed up again, although she knew that Connor and Murphy wouldn't let anything happen to her. She was still shocked by Gary's actions. He had always been so sweet with her and had never displayed any aggression. She still wasn't sure what had gotten into him. After the incident at the bar, the boys took her home. She was quiet for the remainder of the evening and had gone straight to her room and locked the door. She wasn't sure how to feel. She wasn't necessarily scared but angry and a bit confused. She saw a side of Murphy that she wasn't sure if she liked, as it did intimidate her to see him react that way. She knew in her gut that if Connor hadn't stopped him when he did, Murphy would've killed Gary. That left a very unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tended to her split lip, took some aspirin and went to bed. She laid in bed for a few hours the next day. She only communicated through text with Connor and Ashling. She told them that she wouldn't be going into work and asked Ashling to cover for her. Connor stated that he would help Ashling at the bar and make sure that there was no trouble. Everyone knew better than to bother her and she was grateful for the peace and quiet. She kept replaying the incident over in her head and would constantly see Murphy's face as he assaulted Gary and honestly, she wasn't sorry for him at all. A part of her got some sick satisfaction in knowing that he was probably in agony at this very moment. Pain shot across her face when she yawned, reminding her of her own injury. She got up and went into the bathroom to take a painkiller. She gasped when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Not only was her lip split and swollen but she also had a large bruise on her right cheek. Gary had struck her pretty good. Her eyes started to water as anger welled up inside of her. She should've let Murphy kill him. She gently brushed her teeth which caused her to wince and then decided to get an ice pack from the freezer. Since she was home alone she didn't bother to put her robe on as she walked though the living room and into the kitchen wearing nothing but her boy cut panties and a tank top, sans bra. She about jumped out of her skin when she saw Murphy sitting at the table drinking a bottle of whiskey. He stood up immediately and stared at her, his eyes trailing up and down her body reminding her that she wasn't wearing any clothes. She crossed her arms over her breasts as she turned about fifty shades of red. Murphy moved towards her and she could see the heat in his eyes, until he focused on her bruised cheek and then the heat turned to rage. "That motherfucker" he said standing in front of her and lightly touching her cheek. She grimaced and drew her face away. He dropped his hand, "I'm sorry. Are ya okay?" She nodded her head curtly and didn't meet his eyes, "what are you doing here?" He shrugged and looked at the floor, "I told Connor I didn't want ya to be alone. Thought I'd stick around in case ya needed somethin'." She walked to the freezer, "I'm fine, just need some ice is all." She pulled an ice pack from the freezer and wrapped it in a dish towel. She sighed as she placed the pack to her cheek and leaned against the counter. Murphy looked uneasy standing there with his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He'd raise his eyes but was unsure where to focus them as she wasn't dressed so he just stared at the floor. As hot as he was for her, she kind of intimidated him and he had never felt intimidated by anyone before...except maybe his mother. He cleared his throat, "Are ya hungry? I ain't much of a cook but I could go get ya somethin'." Ryanne shook her head and took a seat at the table, "I'm fine, thanks." She poured some whiskey into the glass that Murphy had been drinking from and drained it in one gulp. She motioned to the cupboard, "Grab a glass and join me." Murphy moved hesistantly but opened the cupboard and grabbed a glass. He sat across from her and she poured him a drink along with another one for herself. She raised her glass to him and threw back her shot. Murphy followed her lead but remained quiet. Moments passed before he had the courage to speak, "Ryanne?" She looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm sorry" he said. "I just didn't want him hurtin' ya. I know ya think I went too far but I need ya to understand, no man will ever harm a woman in my presence. It's just not in me to let that slide, I know ya care for him and I know ya think I'm some kinda monster but I don't regret it and I'd do it again without hesitation." She furrowed her brow at him, "I don't think you're a monster Murphy. I'm not sure what to feel about it but I know that I don't think that about you." His eyes saddened, "I saw the way ya looked at me. I scared ya. I'm sorry." She cocked her head to the side. "You're extremely loyal" she said to him. "Don't be sorry. I'm not sorry about what happened. In fact, thank you for standing up for me, no one has ever done that for me before." She gave him a small smile. He looked at her surprised, "Don't ya care about him?" Ryanne scoffed, "Not anymore. I never wanted to hurt his feelings but I didn't care about him romantically." Murphy looked confused, "but ya told me to stop. Ya had Connor stop me." Ryanne reached over and touched his hand, "You have me confused Murphy. I didn't have Connor stop you because I care about Gary, I had him stop you because I care about you. You see, I don't care what happens to that bastard. He could get hit by a bus and it'd be nothing to me...but you Murphy, I didn't want that blood on your hands. I didn't want you to do something drastic because of me. I don't want you in trouble because of me. It's not worth it." As soon as she said the words she knew they were true. She didn't want anything happening to him, especially because of her. Murphy gave her an intense stare, "Ryanne, If ya aren't worth it then what is? You're worth everythin'. I wanted to kill him for ya and I would've if Connor didn't stop me...I still would if ya asked me to. I'd do anythin' ya asked of me. Do ya not know that Darlin'?" Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded. He lowered his head and kissed her hands. They sat that way for what seemed like forever, her crying silent tears as he rested his face in her hands.

Ryanne awoke a few hours later in her bed. Her head was fuzzy as she glanced around her room and saw Murphy snoring away on the small love seat in the corner. She smiled as she watched him sleep. She didn't remember falling asleep or getting to her bed. She assumed he must have helped her. Those couple shots of whiskey really knocked her out but then she remembered that she had taken an Oxycodone for the throbbing in her head. That mixed with the alcohol, it was no surprise that she had crashed out so hard. She got up and stumbled to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water felt good on her sore muscles as she stood under the hard spray. There was a sudden knock on the door and she shrieked. "Rye?" Murphy called out from the other side. She turned of the water to hear him better, "Yeah?" "ya gotta get to the bar, Ash called and said that a cop is there askin' questions 'bout last night." Her stomach tightened, "Okay, I'll be right out." "Aye, I'll wait for ya outside." She waited until she heard the bedroom door close before climbing out of the shower to get dressed. She went over in her mind what she was going to say. There really wasn't much to say was there? Gary was out of line and he answered for it. Seemed simple enough to her but she knew it didn't always work that way. Murphy had given Gary one hell of a beating and she knew that constituted as assault, no matter how good his intentions were. She threw her wet hair up in a bun and tugged on some jeans and a South Boston hoodie along with a pair of Converse. She didn't bother with any makeup, she wanted the cop to see the bruise on her face and her busted lip. She grabbed her purse and phone and walked outside. Murphy sat in the passenger seat of her truck and already had it running with the heat on full blast. Ryanne climbed in the driver's seat, "I thought Connor and Ash would've taken the truck today." Murphy shook his head and pulled his coat tighter around himself. "I dropped 'em off. Hope ya don't mind that I drove it." Ryanne gave him a smile and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. She drove to the bar with her anxiety through the roof. "I assume that I shouldn't mention you or Connor?" Murphy nodded and stared straight ahead, "Aye, say that ya don't know who gave him the beatin' but that it was in your defense. We'll stay out of sight until he's gone." Ryanne slowed and let Murphy get out of the truck just before she turned into the parking lot of The Docks. She took a moment to gather herself before walking into the bar. It was pretty much dead inside with only a few guys playing pool. Ashling was behind the bar washing glasses when she looked up, her eyes widening. She sucked her breath in sharply, "My god, your face. Are you okay?" Ryanne nodded her head, "I'll be fine. Where's this cop?" Ashling motioned with her head to the corner of the bar, "He's in the corner booth. Seems legit, I saw his badge." Ryanne looked around and whispered, "Where's Connor?" Ashling leaned in, "Snuck out the back as soon as the cop came in. Not sure where he is. What about Murphy?" Ryanne shrugged, "I dropped him off around the corner. They'll be fine." She took a deep breath and walked to booth where the cop was sitting with his back to her. She approached him slowly and stopped at the booth. "Can I help you?" The man looked up and gave her a polite smile, offering her his hand, "You must be the owner?" She shook his hand reluctantly, "Yes, Ryanne Franco and you are?" "I'm Detective Duffy, please have a seat Ms. Franco." He motioned for her to sit down. She sat across from him, "Would you like a drink Detective?" Duffy held up his hand and shook his head, "No thank you, I don't drink while I'm on duty. I suppose it's no secret why I'm here." Ryanne lit a cigarette, "Not unless your blind" she said pointing to her face. He gave her a sympathetic smile as his eyes moved over her face taking in her bruised cheek and swollen lip. "That's what I'd like to talk to you about. Last night a man named Gary O'Neill was admitted to South Boston Community Hospital with severe injuries. Cracked ribs, broken nose and jaw, busted ear drum...the list goes on. He's damn near unrecognizable. Now this wouldn't have anything to do with you except for the fact that we had a concerned patron of this fine establishment of yours, make a report about an incident here last night. He said that Mr. O'Neill was in here and created quite the scene and judging by your appearance, I'd say that was an understatement. You wanna tell me about it?" Ryanne took a long drag of her cigarette and took her time blowing out the smoke before she answered, "There's not much to tell. I've known Gary for some time now. We used to date. We reconnected recently and I made it clear that it was only on friendly terms. He didn't seem to happy about that. I hadn't heard from him until last night when he came in. He tried to get handsy and when I refused his advances, he became hostile and hit me. He knocked me to the floor and was screaming obscenities at me, I don't remember much after that." Duffy cocked his head and nodded. She knew he didn't believe her. He made her uncomfortable and she glanced around nervously. "Well according to the witness, Gary was attacked by another man that was in here. Said he gave him quite the beating, he also said you were screaming for him to stop." Ryanne shifted in her seat, "Like I said Detective, I don't remember. It was very unlike Gary to behave that way. I'm still confused and quite shaken." He smirked at her, "I can see that." She was starting to get annoyed, "Listen, I don't understand why I'm being drilled like I did something wrong. He assaulted me. Maybe you should go talk to him and he can tell you what happened. I'm thinking of pressing charges on that Dickhead." Duffy nodded, "Well I would Ms. Franco but it's hard for a man to talk when his jaw is wired shut." Ryanne raised an eyebrow, "Serves him right I'd say. I'd have beat his ass myself if I could've. I think my saviour deserves a pat on the back. If you find out who it was, let me know so I can send him a thank you card." Duffy laughed and shook his head, "You're good but this can get a lot worse if you're not careful. I'm not saying he didn't deserve what he got. No man should ever hit a woman." He leaned forward and stared at her, "Between me and you Ryanne, who worked him over? I know you know." Ryanne glared at him, "Why don't you ask your witness?" She blew a puff of smoke into his face and then stood up. "If there is nothing else Detective, I have a bar to run." She began walking towards the back room when Duffy spoke again, "Keep your boys on a short leash Ms. Franco, they don't want to get sloppy. Word spreads fast around Boston" She froze and slowly turned to face him. Duffy stood up and walked towards her, "Here's my card, if your memory magically returns give me a call. I may be of some assistance to you." She took the card and eyed him carefully. He gave her a smart ass grin and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Tell the Saints the boys at the Boston P.D say hello." He backed away from her but spoke again, "You're lucky Ryanne. Not many people get two guardian angels. You be sure to put some ice on that bruise." Duffy winked as he turned and walked out of the bar. Ryanne let out a huge breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. How the hell did he know about Connor and Murphy and why did he call them Saints? Ashling appeared at her side, "What happened?" Ryanne felt sick and held her hands to her stomach. "Find the boys. We gotta get them out of Boston."


	8. Chapter 8

Ryanne waited for hours before Connor and Murphy returned. She had closed up early and sat with Ashling at the bar when they finally came through the back door. "Jesus Christ" Ryanne said as she hugged them both, "I've been waiting for hours, where have you been?" Connor poured a shot for him and Murphy, "We had to be sure the coast was clear before comin' back. How'd it go?" Ryanne pulled out Duffy's card, "That cop is up to something. He knows about you guys, you need to get out of the city ASAP." Connor looked at the card and started to chuckle. He handed the card to Murphy who also started to laugh. "I'm sorry" Ryanne said confused, "Did I miss something funny?" Connor patted her on the back and laughed, "Nothin' to worry about. We know Duffy, It's fine." Ryanne scoffed, "It's fine? I don't think you understand. That guy was a dick and he told me to keep you on a short leash so you don't get sloppy. He knows you're responsible for Gary." "It's alright" Murphy said pouring another drink, "This is just his way of lettin' us know that he knows we're here. He'll help us if we need him to." Ryanne felt like she was losing her mind. She didn't know who to trust or what to believe. She sat down and covered her face with her hands. She wanted to scream, most of all she just wanted some answers. "Why did he call you The saints?" Connor and Murphy exchanged looks. They were going to have to tell her eventually but they wanted to keep her out of it for as long as possible. Connor shook his head, "Who knows, probably because we're religious, it's not important. Everythin' will be okay Rye." He reached for her but she swatted his hand away, she was angry now. "No! Nothing is okay! I want some answers damn it! Why are you in hiding? Why are people after you? Tell me!" Murphy moved toward her, "It's complicated Ryanne, I promise in time you'll understand but..." Ryanne cut him off, "God Damn it!" Connor and Murphy crossed themselves and kissed their rosaries in reaction to her blasphemy. Ryanne looked at Connor, "A whole year. We've seen each other almost every single day for a whole year. I never knew you had a brother, twin brother at that, all of a sudden you're on the run, no one can know about you, you come and go without saying a word about where you've been or where you're going. You mentioned that people have died. What people? What did you guys do? Who are you?" Her eyes filled with tears which immediately ran down her face. Connor looked at her with sadness but did not say anything. "I thought you were my best friend but I don't even know you." She sobbed into her hands. "Looks like I came at a bad time." A strange voice broke the silence. Ryanne's head snapped up to see a petite woman standing by the back door. She couldn't have been more than five foot two, she wore a black peacoat and underneath a black high neck pencil dress and heels. Her hair was covered by a black scarf. She was very pretty and immediately reminded Ryanne of Audrey Hepburn. The woman sashayed across the bar towards them. "Hello again boys", she said in a thick southern accent. She removed her scarf to display a long mane of strawberry blonde hair. She grinned at Connor who immediately grabbed her in his arms and kissed her passionately. Ryanne stared at them slackjawed. She glanced over at Ashling who had the same expression but also looked devastated. Ryanne could almost hear her poor heart shatter into a million pieces. "God woman, where ya been?" Connor asked after he broke the kiss. The woman smiled and placed a perfectly polished hand to his cheek. "I had business to take care of. You're not the only one who's wanted." The woman smiled at Murphy who in turn nodded his head to her respectfully. Ryanne cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me. Who the hell is this?!" Connor turned to her, "Rye, this is Eunice Bloom?" Ryanne raised her eyebrows, "What the fuck is a Eunice Bloom?" Eunice cocked her head, "I. am. Eunice. Bloom." she said sounding offended. She walked up to Ryanne with her hands on her hips, standing toe to toe with her. They stared each other down for a moment until Ryanne finally spoke, "Who are you?" Eunice rolled her eyes, "We just covered that Sweetie." Ryanne glared at her, "I don't give a rat crap about your name lady, what the hell are you doing here and Who the hell are you to Connor? Since he feels the need to keep me in the dark." She shot an evil look in Connor's direction. Eunice chuckled, "You're quite the drama queen aren't you? You must be Ryanne. I've heard so much about you." Eunice looked back over her shoulder to Connor, "You were right, she is a lot like your brother." Ryanne stepped closer to Eunice, their noses practically touching, "You don't know me." Eunice grinned at her, "Ryanne Franco, born in San Jose California, the only child of Susan and Jerry Franco, on March 10, 1980. You graduated at the top of your class with your Masters in business from USC...did I miss anything of importance?" Ryanne fumed and turned towards Connor, "What have you told her about me?! Why does she know my personal information?!" Before Connor could speak, Eunice continued, "I can find out anything about anybody. Such as, you moved to South Boston one year ago, six months after your mother lost her battle with breast cancer." At the mention of her mother's death, Ryanne snapped. She back handed Eunice across the face and then tackled her to the floor. "Oh shit!" Murphy yelled and moved forward to intervene. Connor held him back, "Let's give them a moment to get acquainted." he said amused as he watched the women roll around on the floor. Murphy pushed Connor away, "Don't be fuckin' stupid, get in there and stop 'em!" Ashling ran around the bar, "Just leave it alone. You don't wanna get in the middle of two women fighting." They watched the brawl continue as both women took turns punching and slapping each other. Ryanne straddled Eunice and began puching her in the face, one hand tangled in Eunice's hair to keep her head still. Eunice clawed at Ryanne's face and grabbed fistfulls of her hair trying to yank her off. She then delivered a blow to Ryanne's chest that sent her sprawling backwards. Ryanne gasped for air as Eunice charged for her but was able to tip a bar stool over causing Eunice to trip. Ryanne grabbed the empty whiskey bottle off the bar, preparing to smash it over Eunice's head. Before she could swing the bottle, Murphy grabbed her from behind and lifted her off of her feet. Connor grabbed Eunice and wrapped his arms around her holding her to him. "Alright gals that be enough now, ya got it out of your system." Both women struggled to break free and were kicking their feet towards each other. "Bitch" Eunice screamed and continued her attempt to get to Ryanne. Ryanne smiled at her, "Since you know everthing, you should've remembered where I'm from. You could've been more prepared." Eunice shrieked at her and Ryanne egged her on, "Let that red neck go Connor, I got something else for her." Murphy wrestled the bottle from Ryanne's grip. "That's enough, ya won't be needin' this." "Stupid wet back!" Eunice hissed, "This ain't over!" Ryanne pushed Murphy back and ran at Eunice but he tackled her before she got close enough. He held her tight as she cursed him to let her go. He grabbed her face in his hands and raised his voice, finally getting fed up, "Hey! Quit your shite! I said enough!" The tone in his voice startled her and she instantly calmed but her breathing was still ragged. He eased his grip on her, "Ya gonna behave?!" She glared at him but nodded. Connor sat Eunice down on a stool but continued to hold on to her. "You're finshed too, ya hear me? Don't make me tell ya again." Eunice pushed Connor's hands away, "Don't you dare scold me like a child! She attacked me!" Connor nodded, "Aye and ya did nothin' to cause that did ya?" Eunice huffed and crossed her arms. Both women glared at each other and looked like hell. Both were bleeding and their hair was a mess. Eunice's dress was ripped and she had blood dripping from her nose. Ryanne's lip had split open again and she had scratch marks across her face. "Now" Connor said annoyed, " Connor's gonna talks some sense into ya. You're gonna act like ladies and stop this nonsense. Rye, you're actin' like a crazy bitch." Ryanne fumed and opened her mouth to protest but Murphy pointed at her and said "shut it." She closed her mouth and gave him an evil look. Connor continued, "I know you're upset with us and ya want answers, I get it. You're confused and angry. I know ya care about us but ya can't act like this. Eunice is a friend of ours, more than a friend to me and she's helped us a lot." This time Eunice tried to cut in but Connor turned to her, "and you Love, ya can't walk in here and behave like an uppity bitch, Ryanne is near to my heart and she's taken care of me when I had no one else. Now I love both of ya, you're just gonna have to try to live with each other and get along." Both women refused to look at each other and sat in silence. Ryanne stood up, "Ash give me my purse. You're gonna have to lock up." Ashling quietly handed the purse over. "Where ya goin'?" Murphy asked. "I'm going home." she replied. He grabbed her arm, "Well at least let me go with ya, it's late." Ryanne pulled her arm away "I don't need a babysitter." She walked past Connor who also tried to stop her, "Rye, let Murph go with ya, it's dark out and ya shouldn't be alone." She looked at him with tearful eyes, "You, I don't know you anymore. I guess I never did so you no longer need to worry about me. Good luck to you both. I hope you stay safe in doing whatever it is that you do." With that, she turned and walked out of the bar. She ran to her truck and got in, sobbing hysterically. She peeled out of the parking lot, not even noticing that Murphy had ran out after her. He watcher her go and cursed under his breath as he jogged back into the bar. "What are ya doin'?" Connor asked. Murphy grabbed his coat, "I'm goin' to make sure she gets home okay." Connor scoffed, "Murph it's freezin' out there and it's a fifteen to twenty minute drive in itself, not to mention an even longer walk." Murphy shook his head, "I don't care and I don't plan on walkin'" He turned and jogged out into the night. "Shite!" Connor cursed. He didn't want Murphy out there alone but he also didn't want to leave Eunice in the condition that she was in. Plus, Ashling would be left alone to close the bar. "Okay" he said, "Ash, finish up here and we'll wait for ya to drive ya home, in the meantime I'm gonna help Eunice get cleaned up." Eunice stood and pushed him away, "I don't need your help, just hurry up so I can get out of this dump."

Ryanne arrived home and locked all the doors behind her. Ashling had a key so she could get in, she felt bad leaving her at the bar but she needed to be alone and clear her head. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen and went into her bedroom. She stripped out of her clothes and ran a hot bath. She sighed as she sank into the steaming heat, taking swigs straight from the bottle, she just wanted to forget about this day. Every part of her body hurt and her eyes were swollen from crying. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She had dozed off in the water and awoke to a pounding noise. She sat up straight and listened. The water had turned cold and she immediately started shivering. She heard the pounding again, it came from her bedroom window. She quickly got out of the tub and threw her robe on. She slowly walked out of the bathroom and stood in the middle of her bedroom. She screamed when the pounding happened again and she saw a mans face in the window. "Ryanne!" She squinted her eyes and looked closer, it was Murphy. "Open up!" he yelled. She let out an exaggerated breath and went to the window to unlock it. She pushed it open, "Murphy what the hell are you doing here? Was I not clear enough about wanting to be left alone?" He climbed in the window and was noticable shaking from the cold, "Aye ya did but I wanted to make sure ya got here okay." Ryanne looked out the window, "How did you get here?" He sniffed and blew into his hands, "I jogged." Ryanne stared at him wide eyed. "You jogged? From the bar? That would take over an hour, are you crazy? It's freezing out there." Murphy nodded, "Aye, I noticed." Ryanne walked him to her bed and sat him down, grabbing her comforter, she wrapped it around him. "You need to get warm, I'm gonna make you some coffee." She shook her head at him, "Jesus you're crazy." She went into the kitchen and prepared the coffee. she heard Murphy move into the living room and sit on the couch. She handed him the mug and sat next to him. "what were you thinking? You're gonna catch your death." He stared at her, "I was thinkin' that I wanted ya to be safe. I wanted to come with ya but ya just took off, so I came on foot." Ryanne shook her head at him again and sighed. "You don't have to protect me Murphy, it's not your job." He looked as if she had just stabbed him. He quietly sipped his coffee before speaking, "Yeah I do have to protect ya, I want to." She looked confused, "but why? There's nothing to protect me from." This time he shook his head at her, "Ya really don't get it do ya? I care about ya Ryanne, more than I ever cared about anyone other than Connor. Yeah so we don't know each other that well but so what? When I look at ya, I want to keep ya safe from everythin'. Ya mean more to me than my own life ya crazy woman." Ryanne was stunned by his words. She didn't understand how deeply he cared and she didn't know why he did. He reached out and touched a cold hand to her face, "You're so beautiful, even when you're banged up." His hand left her face and trailed down to her neck. He ran a finger along her collarbone and down her chest to where her robe hung loosely over her breasts. He saw her chest rise and fall deeper with each breath and his own breathing intensified. He turned her face towards him and leaned in. She sat frozen in anticipation of his kiss. She closed her eyes and he tilted his head and moved closer. As their lips parted, they heard a key in the door, causing them to jump and pull back from each other. Ashling walked in and stared at them as if she knew that she had interrupted. "Sorry" she said, "Murphy, Connor is outside with Eunice, he's waiting for you." Murphy looked back at Ryanne and chuckled, leaning over again, he kissed her cheek. "I'll check on ya tomorrow, get some rest." Ryanne nodded as she took the comforter from him. "Thanks" she said, "make sure you stay warm." He winked at her, "Aye, that won't be a problem now. I might have to cool down." She blushed as he walked out the door. Ashling locked it behind him and turned to Ryanne with a smirk. "You okay?" Ryanne nodded, "Yeah i'm fine. You've got some timing though." Ashling laughed, "I'm so sorry." Ryanne hugged her, "No, I'm sorry Ash. I shouldn't have stormed out and left you behind." "Ashling shrugged, "It's okay. Everything is taken care of. Besides, seeing the look on your face when I walked through the door was payback enough! Priceless! So did he kiss you?" Ryanne laughed and walked to her room. "Goodnight Ash!" Ryanne collapsed on her bed and snuggled into her comforter which now smelled like Murphy. She sighed as she fell asleep feeling safe and surrounded by his scent.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Ryanne sat in her office sorting through a pile of bills. She was in the middle of calculating her expenses when Murphy knocked on the door frame, "Hey" he said winking at her." she smiled, "Hi, what's up?" He took a deep breath, "Can ya come out to the livin' room for a moment?" She looked at him confused, "Why what's going on?" He motioned with is head as he backed out of the room, "We gotta talk." Ryanne followed him out of the room and was about to ask again what was going on until she saw Eunice and Connor standing in the middle of the living room. Eunice donned a large pair of sunglasses over her bruised face. Ryanne felt her face get hot as her anger started to return. "What the hell is this bitch doing in my house?" Connor walked to her, "Rye we just need ya to listen, please." She shook her head, "I don't need to hear anything from her or from you. I'm over it." Eunice rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I told you this wasn't going to work. Why did we even come here?" Ryanne nodded, "That's a damn good question. Get out." Eunice turned to leave when Connor grabbed her arm and kept her by his side. "The two of ya need to talk. Now we'll stand here all fuckin' day if that's what it takes. Make your choice." Eunice sighed and walked up to Ryanne who immediately tensed. "Relax, I ain't here to fight with you so you can drop the thousand yard stare." Ryanne relaxed a bit, "Then what do you want?" Eunice looked at her feet as she tried to swallow her pride, "Connor is right, we need to talk. So why don't we put our differences aside for awhile and go get a cup of coffee?" Ryanne laughed wryly, "Ha! and why the hell would I go anywhere with you?" Eunice stared at her before stepping even closer, "because sweetheart, you want answers and I can give them to you." Ryanne was intrigued but still skeptical, "and how do I know you're not going to try to shoot me or set me up?" Eunice exhaled deeply as she became more annoyed, "I guess you're just gonna have to trust me aren't you?" Ryanne thought about it for a moment before glancing over at Murphy. He nodded his head reassuringly. "Ugh, fine. Let me get my stuff." Ryanne said as went to her room. Connor kissed Eunice on the head and rubbed her back as if telling her that she made a good effort. Ryanne walked back out to the living room, "Alright, let's go." Murphy approached and kissed her cheek, "Play nice. She's really tryin'. We'll be here when you get back." She squeezed his arm as she and Eunice walked out to the car. "I'll drive" Eunice said. Ryanne rolled her eyes and got into the passenger seat. Connor and Murphy stood in the door way and watched the women leave. Murphy blew out a breath, "Are ya sure this is a good idea?" Connor shook his head, "I don't know brother but I don't want to see the look on Ryanne's face when Eunice tells her what we really are." Murphy nodded in agreement. The rest of the day was going to be really interesting.

Eunice and Ryanne drove in silence for a few moments. Ryanne took the time to look Eunice over and size her up. Instead of a dress, this time she wore a black pant suit with stilleto boots. Her hair was covered by the same scarf that she wore the night before but Ryanne noticed that her hair was a different color. This time it was jet black. Ryanne cocked her head, "Are you wearing a wig?" Eunice glanced at her gave a nod, "Yes." Ryanne chuckled, "Why?! Do you like playing dress up? This is the second time I've seen you look all fancy. You're really into yourself aren't you?" Eunice let out an exasperated breath, "First of all, the wig serves a purpose, unlike you. Second, I enjoy dressing nice. I carefully select what goes on my body unlike SOME who choose to just throw on any old pair of jeans." Eunice looked at Ryanne over the top of her sunglasses. Ryanne looked down at her own outfit. She was wearing her favorite jeans and a white cami, paired with a teal slim mini blazer jacket and matching pumps. She even had a clutch to match. Her long hair hung in loose waves around her face. She had put on makeup in an effort to disguise some of the bruising on her face. "Hey, my style is just fine. I don't have to wear fancy clothes and red bottom pumps to feel good about myself. I have more to offer than just my appearance." Eunice gave a haughty laugh, "God, I hope so." Ryanne waved her off, "Whatever, where we going?" Eunice grinned but stayed silent. A few minutes later, they pulled up outside Cafe Toscana. The same restaurant where Ryanne had her disaster of a date with Gary. She groaned, "Really? You had to come here." Eunice smirked at her, "Isn't this your favorite place Honey?" Ryanne glared at her and crossed her arms. Eunice chuckled and got out of the car, "Come on. I like the cappuccinos here." Ryanne got out reluctantly and grumbled as they walked inside. The host greeted them and losing her southern accent, Eunice asked for seating in the back corner. The host nodded and lead them to their table. Ryanne noticed that the cafe was nearly empty and was dimly lit for a romantic effect. Perfect for a private conversation or to whack someone she thought. As they sat in their booth, Ryanne spoke, "What was up with that?" she asked in regards to Eunice changing her accent. Eunice shrugged, "One can never be too careful." Ryanne furrowed her brow. The waiter approached and took their orders. Eunice ordered two cappuccinos and a family order of pasta. When the waiter left Ryanne said, "I thought we were just here for coffee." Eunice removed her sunglasses, "I'm starving. Connor can really work up my appetite if you know what I mean." Ryanne grimaced, "Gross, no thank you." Eunice chuckled and grabbed a roll from the bread basket on the table, "Have you always been such a prude?" She asked mid bite. Ryanne's jaw dropped, "Excuse me?! I am not a prude!" Eunice laughed and waved the piece of bread at her, "Please! You got Murphy's balls so deep in your purse, I'm surprised he can still walk!" Ryanne scoffed at her, "That's not true. I've never asked anything of him." Eunice took another bite and shook her head, "You don't have to. Since the day he laid eyes on you it was over for him. He's vowed himself solely to you. That man would walk through fire if it meant you never being sad again. He loves you." Ryanne's eyes widened, "Whoa! I wouldn't go that far. He barely knows me. He doesn't love me." Eunice shrugged, "Whatever you say but I know him very well. I've talked to him. I know how he feels and you can see it when he looks at you. Your smile alone tortures that man's soul." She paused, "Have you let him kiss you yet?" Ryanne looked away, "Not that it's any of your business but no. It's come close though." Eunice grinned, "That poor poor man. What'd I tell ya? Prude!" Ryanne threw her hands up in frustration, "Whatever! Why are we here? It's not like we're best friends out to lunch. What'd you want to tell me?" Eunice held up a finger signaling to wait a moment as the waiter returned with their coffee and pasta. The waiter looked between the two women and took in the bruises on their face. He leaned forward and whispered "If you need help with a place to stay, my sister works at a shelter for battered women. They can help you." Eunice leaned forward towards the waiter, "Thanks for the tip Chief but it's best if you mind your business." The waiter gave an apologetic smile and walked away. Ryanne scowled at Eunice, "That wasn't very nice." Eunice raised an eyebrow, "This coming from the psycho that was going to smash a bottle over my head?" Ryanne shrugged and sipped her coffee. Eunice handed Ryanne a plate, "Eat." Ryanne pushed the plate away, "I'm not hungry." Eunice shrugged, "Your loss but we're gonna be here awhile." Ryanne put a small amount of pasta on her plate and slowly nibbled at it. Eunice watched her and shook her head in disappointment, "God, are you one of those women that barely eats because she's always trying to watch her figure? Murphy likes a woman with a healthy appetite." She gave a wicked grin. Ryanne looked at her annoyed and took a larger bite. "Happy now?" Eunice nodded and began eating in silence for a few moments. Ryanne stared at her impatiently and drummed her fingers on the table. Eunice sighed, "Well I suppose you want to know why I brought you here." Ryanne raised her eyebrows and Eunice continued, "As you know, Connor and Murphy have some....secrets that they've been withholding from you. Believe me when I tell you that it's for your own good. Now before you interrupt me, I know you're tired of hearing that excuse. I had a long talk with the boys last night and they agreed that it's time you knew the truth. They also felt that it would be easier coming from me. They didn't want to feel judged by you. They love you very much, especially Connor. It would kill him to see the disappointment on your face when you hear what I have to say. Now I want you to hear me out before you ask any questions and I want you to try to understand. I'm trusting that you're not going to make a scene and that you'll be rational about all this. Do you think you can handle that?" Ryanne wasn't sure what she could handle but she needed to know the truth. She took a deep breath and nodded. Eunice motioned for the waiter, "We're gonna need something stronger than coffee, Two 7&7's." Once he walked away, Eunice looked at Ryanne. "I sure do hope you're worth all this."

Eunice launched into an unbelievable story of Connor and Murphy. She explained why they were on the run, and told Ryanne about how they believed they had a calling from God to rid the world of evil sinners. She explained that the justice was served in the name of God and that they never harmed anyone that didn't deserve it. "rapists, murderers, child molesters, drug dealers...they all get brought to justice. The people of Boston dubbed them The Saints." Ryanne's head spun as she listened to the incredible words that came out of Eunice's mouth. Eunice told her about some Russians that had started a fight with the boys and had made an attempt to ruin their friend Doc's business. How after the fight, they handcuffed Connor to a toilet in his apartment while they took Murphy out to the alley to kill him. Connor had cut his wrists open trying to escape the cuffs and in his rage, ripped the toilet from the floor and carried it to the fire escape where he dropped it on the Russian's head down below. She explained how everything spiraled from that day on. How they took out the Yakavetta family with the help of their friend Agent Paul Smecker but lost their best friend Rocco in the process. How they had reunited with their long lost father who had been hired to kill them and how they disappeared with him back to Ireland in order to escape being caught. "After the murder of a priest eight years later, which they were framed for, Connor and Murphy returned to settle the score. That's where I came in, I was Smecker's protege, a Special Agent with the FBI. I was called in to help apprehend the boys but really I was here to help them on their quest for vengeance. They settled the score for the priest but they lost their dear father during a shoot out in which they were also shot, captured and sent to The Hoag. I had to go rogue to help them finish the job. It wasn't part of the plan but shit happens. I believe in what they do so I helped them as best I could. I had to leave the country right after with Smecker and took sanctuary in a convent. Smecker had the idea to break the boys out of prison and get them back to work so that's what we did but not before getting them back to Ireland. They needed to lay low for awhile. That was almost two years ago. They were doing fine until their friend Romeo needed help. That's why Connor came back. The plan was to make a quick trip and get back home while Murphy stayed back and took care of their mother who is ill. Unfortunately, Connor happened across a lonely bartender who also needed his help. That would be you. Once you came into his life, he couldn't bring himself to leave you behind. He said he was all you had. Murphy was going crazy without his other half so he decided to come back. They can't be apart for too long, they balance each other out I guess. So that brings us to here and now. Originally, Murphy was coming back to take Connor home but again, you with all your charm, bewitched him as well. Now they're here and I came back to try to talk some sense into them. They can't stay here Ryanne. They have a lot of people willing to protect them but they have more who want them dead or behind bars. Now it's up to us to protect them. I need you to help me make them see reason. They need to leave Boston, with or without you." By the time Eunice was finished talking, Ryanne felt like she was drunk. She was lightheaded and nauseous. She sat quietly for a long time before she could find her voice. She laughed as if she was crazy, "This can't be real. Normal people don't do these things and say it's because God told them to." Eunice remained quiet as Ryanne rambled. If she was going to freak out, she'd rather her do it now and get it out of her system. Ryanne put her head in her hands and tried to absorb the information that was just spewed on to her. "Is there anything else Eunice? Anything else that I should know?" Eunice shook her head and gave her a meaningful stare, "That's everything I swear. What you choose to do from here on out is entirely up to you but I hope you'll make the right decision and choose to help them. I mean it Ryanne, they love you. It would crush them if you turned your back now but we would all understand. I know it's not easy to accept and this is a lot to take on, it's a huge responsibilty. The choice is yours now." Eunice stood up, "I'm gonna go powder my nose. If you're gone when I get back, I'll understand and I'll make sure the boys are gone before you get home. If you're still here...well, we'll just go from there." Eunice walked to the restroom and left Ryanne to make her decision. Ryanne sat and stared at the tablecloth, a million thoughts running through her mind. What was she supposed to do with this information? She just found out her best friend murdered people for a living and felt that it was some religious calling....and Murphy. Her sweet, strong Murphy. He was a killer too. He had killed people in cold blood. Was it enough that they only did it in defense of the helpless? She wasn't sure how she felt about them playing judge and jury, it just didn't seem right. How could she love a man or men for that matter, who lived their lives this way? They would always be running, always be hiding. They would never be safe. She wasn't sure if she could live her life that way and carry that on her conscience. The waiter walked over and asked if she needed anything else. Ryanne was quiet for a moment before gathering her belongings, "Just the check please."


	10. Chapter 10

Eunice left the restroom and headed back to the table. She stopped in her tracks when she no longer saw Ryanne sitting in the booth. The waiter approached her, "Where is the woman I was with?" Eunice asked. "I believe she left ma'am. She paid the bill and walked out." "Shit!" Eunice said under her breath. She grabbed her things and ran outside to her car but stopped suddenly as she saw Ryanne leaning against the front of the car smoking a cigarette. Eunice breathed a sigh of relief. "Damn you, I thought you'd gone." Ryanne stomped out her cigarette, "Don't get happy yet. I still don't know where I stand but I'm not walking home in these heels." Eunice nodded and motioned for Ryanne to get in the car. The ride home was silent even though Eunice stole a few glances in Ryanne's direction. Ryanne sat quietly and stared out the window. Eunice pulled up to Ryanne's house and they walked inside together. Connor and Murphy were sitting at the kitchen table and stood up immediately as the women walked through the door. Everyone stared at each other for a few moments before Connor slowly approached Ryanne and held his arms out to her. She hesitated before walking into his arms and crying into his shoulder. "Shhhh" he whispered as he ran his hand through her hair, "It's alright, everythin' will be okay Darlin'. I love ya." Ryanne pulled back and walked over to the couch the sit down. Connor and Murphy sat next to her, each taking her hand. Ryanne shook her head as she continued to cry, "She wasn't lying was she? It's all true?" Murphy squeezed her hand, "Aye, it's true. We are as she says. This is our callin'." Ryanne looked at Murphy with tearful eyes that shattered his heart, "Your calling? How can you really believe that God told you to kill people? This isn't okay. None of this is okay." Murphy sighed and hung his head, "I know how it sounds Ryanne. We don't expect ya to fully understand but we can't stand by while innocent people get hurt and mistreated and the bad people roam free." Ryanne stared at him in disbelief, he actually believed what he was saying. Connor turned her head towards him, "I want ya to think about somethin' and maybe it'll help ya understand or accept who we are. Do ya remember when ya told me about your friend Michael that was murdered when he was only eighteen years old?" Ryanne gasped at the mention of her childhood friend and more tears began to fall, "Don't! Don't you dare mention him!" She tried to get up but Connor held her still. "Just listen please!" he begged. "Ya remember tellin' me what happened to him? He was shot down in cold blood right? Shot right in the head." Ryanne sobbed, "Please stop!" Eunice approached, "Connor enough, don't do this to her." Connor held up his hand to silence her, "ya remember that day very clearly don't ya Rye? Ya remember his mother tellin' ya that he was murdered and how ya spent years wonderin' what really happened that night. They never found the guy that did it, did they Ryanne?" She now had her head in her hands and was crying uncontrollably. Murphy rubbed her back as he shot Connor a glare, "What the fuck ya doin'? Can't ya see what this is doin' to her?" Connor ignored him as he took Ryanne by the shoulders, "They didn't find him did they?" Ryanne pushed him away, "No! No they didn't find him! Are you happy now Connor? Do you get off seeing me completely unglued and falling apart?! He was my best friend and he didn't deserve to die like that!" Connor grabbed her again, "That's my point Love! He didn't deserve to die! The guy that killed him, he didn't deserve to go on with his life with no reprecussions. That's what we do! We go after people like that scumbag that killed your friend and we bring 'em to justice! Had we known ya then, I bet we coulda found him and then he woulda got what was comin' to him. Your friend wouldn't have died for nothin'." Ryanne stared at him. Seeing the fire that was in his eyes as he spoke was terrifying. He and Murphy really believed this was their calling. To do away with the scum of the earth, to protect the innocent. Granted her friend had not been completely innocent, he was killed during a drug deal but still...he didn't need to die. Connor reminding her of the tragedy that she had tried so hard to bury, broke her heart. It was as if she was reliving it all over again. It had been seventeen years since Michael had passed but the pain still felt as fresh as it did when it happened. Eunice handed her a tissue and offered a sympathetic smile. Ryanne gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she wiped away her tears and blew her nose. Thinking about Michael's passing kind of put things into perspective for her. She wished someone had searched for the bastard that killed her friend and avenged his death in some way. Honestly she wouldn't have been satisfied with him going to prison, she would have wanted him dead. A part of her felt guilty because she felt that someone should've been her but even if she had found the guy, she wasn't sure that she would've been able to kill him. Ryanne took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You're right," she said. "he died for nothing. It was stupid and senseless and that asshole didn't deserve to go on with his life, to go back to his family and be happy. Michael never got a chance to fall in love, to be a father, never got the chance to go into a bar and have a drink with friends. He was robbed of his life and those that loved him were robbed off his smile and his huge heart, his love and friendship." She paused, not really believing what she was about to say. "I guess if others can be spared that same pain, if you can bring them some peace by either stopping these criminals or delivering swift vengeance, who am I to stop you?" Murphy held his breath as he looked at her, wanting her to mean the words that she spoke. She looked back at him and touched her hand to his cheek. She leaned over and brushed her lips lightly against his, "It's okay." She whispered. His heart stopped, not only from her feathery kiss but from her words of acceptance. He let out a huge breath and laid his head on her shoulder. Connor nodded at her and then kissed her forehead. "We won't ever disappoint ya. I promise." Ryanne nodded and stood up, "This has been a lot to take in and I am completely drained. I'm going to lie down." The men stood up and Eunice walked over to Ryanne, "Thank you" Eunice said, "They really needed your support." Ryanne was caught off guard as Eunice grabbed her into a tight hug, "I hope we can be friends someday." She said as she pulled back. Ryanne nodded, "I think that'd be nice Eunice and thank you for giving me the answers I needed. The boys are lucky to have you watching their back." Eunice gave Ryanne's shoulders a squeeze, "They have us both now. I'm gonna get these jokers out of your hair for awhile. Get some rest." Ryanne watched as the trio left and then locked the door behind them. She went to her bedroom and undressed down to her panties and bra. It was only three in the afternoon but she felt exhausted. She silenced her phone and crawled into bed, snuggling beneath her covers. She was asleep instantly.

Ryanne woke up and looked around her room, it was pitch black. She glanced at the bedside clock and saw that it was 2:30am, she has been asleep for over ten hours. She groaned and turned on her reading lamp. She went to the restroom to pee and brush her teeth. She looked in the mirror and shook her head and her reflection. In addition to bruises and a swollen lip, her eyes were also puffy from crying. She splashed water on her face and realized that she was dying of thirst. She walked out of her room and stopped in front of Ashling's room. She could hear the TV on so she lightly knocked. "Come in" Ashling called out. Ryanne opened the door, "Hey, everything okay?" Ashling nodded, "Yeah I'm just studying. Are you okay? I heard you had a rough day." Ryanne waved her hand, "I'm fine. Just tired. I take it you saw the guys?" Ashling stood up and stretched, "Yeah, they went into the bar earlier this evening. Connor and Eunice dropped me off after my shift. Murphy stayed behind to help Sarah lock up." Ryanne smiled, "Good, i'm glad things went smoothly. I'm gonna get some water, want anything?" Ashling followed her out into the kitchen. Ryanne grabbed a bottle of water and drained it in one long gulp, sighing as the coolness of the water sated her dry throat. Ashling laughed at her, "Sheesh, you really were thirsty." Ryanne nodded, "Not sure why, maybe because I slept so long." Ashling nodded, "Yeah you were out. I went to your room to let you know I was home but you didn't budge." Ryanne shrugged, "I guess I really needed the sleep." "So..." Ashling said gesturing at Ryanne's half naked appearance, "Is Murphy coming over? He'd probably bust something if he saw you in your undies." She gave a wicked grin causing Ryanne to laugh. "No no, he won't be seeing these for some time. We're still getting to know each other." Ashling groaned, "Come on Rye! All you need to know is that the guy is sweet on you and that he's sexy as hell. You better grab that up before someone else does!" Ryanne winked and tsked at Ashling, "Well if he's so sweet on me, I don't have anything to worry about do I? He won't mind waiting." Ashling bit into the sandwich that she made and rolled her eyes as she walked out of the kitchen, "I do hope you're right." Ryanne stood at the counter and began washing the dirty knife and plate that Ashling left behind. As she was putting the dishes away she heard a loud THUD at the back kitchen door. She jumped and stared at the door, her heart racing. She was about to take a step forward when she heard the sound again, causing her to jump back. She grabbed a large knife out of the block on the counter and took a deep breath. She could hear scuffling sounds on the door as if something was trying to paw its way in. She prayed that it was a raccoon but her gut told her she wasn't that lucky. She tip toed over and switched on the back yard light, hoping that it would scare the intruder off. Everything was silent for a moment so she quietly peeked out of the curtain that covered the small window on the door. She didn't see anything at first until all of a sudden a bloody hand smacked at the window. She shrieked and stumbled back into the wall. The person on the other side began to hit the door and she could hear moaning. She peeked out of the curtain again and didn't see anyone else in the yard, as she looked down all she could see were a familiar pair of black work boots. She mustered her courage and gripped the knife in her hands as she swung the back door open. She screamed as a man fell backwards into the kitchen. He was covered in blood and barely moving. She squinted her eyes to make out his face when she noticed the "Aequitas" tattoo on his finger. It was Murphy. Dropping the knife, Ryanne fell to her knees beside him. "Oh my god! Murphy?!" She was afraid to touch him and she couldn't tell where he was bleeding from or if he was still alive. "Murphy?" She lightly touched his cheek as she laid her head to his chest. She could feel the slight rise and fall from his breathing. She breathed a sigh of relief but then panic immediately set in. Who had done this to him and where was Connor? She whispered in his ear, "Murphy? Sweetie can you hear me? Please say something." She waited for a moment and watched as his eyes barely fluttered open. He looked at her and she could she him trying to raise his hand. She grabbed it and held it to her chest, "Don't try to move. Can you tell me where you're hurt?" He continued to stare at her but didn't speak. He moved his hand from her chest and raised it to her cheek, lightly brushing his fingers against her face but leaving streaks of blood behind. He parted his lips to speak but Ryanne couldn't hear any sound. She leaned her ear closer to his mouth to try and hear him. "Ryanne" he whispered. She smoothed his hair back, "I'm here, I'm not leaving you." she could see tears in his eyes from the pain he was in. He tried to speak again, "I think I been stabbed...beaten." Ryanne looked him over but there was so much blood. "Murphy, I have to get you to the hospital. You're going to be okay." Murphy grabbed her, "No, ya can't." She stared at him dumbfounded, "Murphy you have to go to the hospital! You need a doctor!" He attempted to sit up but she held him down, "Please, " he begged, "Ya can't take me to the hospital....please." Ryanne's heart broke as she watched Murphy attempt to get up. He would basically rather die than be taken to the emergency room because the would result in his going back to prison. She didn't want that for him either but she wasn't going to let him die. "ASH!" She screamed. Ashling came running into the kitchen and went pale as she saw Murphy on the floor. "Jesus, what happened?" Ryanne motioned for her to get on the other side of Murphy, "Help me get him up." Ashling stood frozen as she stared at Murphy, "Ash!" Ryanne yelled at her. Ashling jumped and finally looked at her. "Help me get him up! We have to get him into the bathroom." Ashling hesitantly knelt beside Murphy and was unsure where to put her hands. "What do I do?" Ryanne leaned down to Murphy, "Honey, I'm gonna need you to help us okay? Can you try to sit up?" Murphy groaned as he rolled to one side and tried to push himself up to sitting. Ryanne supported him and then once he was up, she threw his arm over her shoulder. "Ash, get his other arm and put it over your shoulder like mine." Ashling shook as she did what Ryanne told her to do. Once they were in position, Ryanne counted to three and they hoisted themselves up, stumbling sideways from Murphy's dead weight. Ryanne kept one hand on his chest to help steady him. "Okay baby" she huffed, "let's do this. I need your help." The three of them stumbled down the hallway and through Ryanne's bedroom. Once they had finally reached the bathroom, they leaned Murphy against the door. He groaned in agony making Ryanne wince in sympathy. "We gotta get him into the tub." Ashling stared at her wide eyed as she tried to catch her breath. "How the hell are we going to do that?" Murphy leaned his head back, "It's alright, just help me sit down on the edge and I can get in." Ryanne ripped the shower curtain aside as they helped Murphy sit on the edge of the tub. He caught his breath for a moment before attempting to slide down, his hands leaving bloody prints on the shower walls. Ryanne stepped into the tub to help guide him and once he was seated she took a moment to gather herself. "Okay" she said turning to Ashling, "I'm going to undress him and find out where he's injured. I need you to get my phone from the night stand and call Connor. If he doesn't answer keep trying. Get him here now." Ashling nodded her head quickly and ran out of the bathroom. Ryanne felt sick to her stomach but had to push it aside in order to tend to Murphy. She began by removing his boots and socks and then she gently straddled him, making sure not to put any weight down. "Murphy I have to take your shirt off so I need you to try to sit up again for me." He nodded and pushed himself up wincing as pain tore through him. He breathed heavily but seemed to be doing okay as Ryanne gently lifted his shirt up but once she realized that he'd have to lift his arms, she stopped. She jumped out of the tub and dug through her bathroom drawers until she produced a pair of scissors. "I'm gonna have to cut your shirt off of you." She knelt next to the tub and began cutting the back of his shirt from the bottom up. Once the shirt was cut, she slowly peeled it off his body. A small cry escaped her lips as she took in the damage that was done to him. There were several deep cuts and slices marring his upper body. He had definitely been stabbed but in addition to the stab wounds, he already had bruising that was showing up over his ribs and chest. Ryanne cried as she ran her hand through his hair, "Oh Murphy...what did they do to you?" He leaned back and let out another groan, "It's okay Love, I'm stonger than ya think." Ryanne wiped at her tears as she continued to cut away at his jeans, "I'm so sorry. we'll get you new clothes." Murphy let out a small painful laugh, "Are ya kiddin'? If I knew that it'd get ya half naked and cuttin' my clothes off in the tub, I'd have paid someone to do this a long time ago. It's kinda kinky." She looked at him astonished that he would be joking at a time like this. "This isn't funny Murphy! You're really hurt!" He nodded and closed his eyes, "Aye I know but it's worth it to have ya takin' care of me." She shook her head at his nonsense as she finished cutting away his jeans, revealing his muscular legs that were also starting to bruise. She noticed that he also had a shield knot tattoed on his left thigh. She took a deep breath and went to cut his boxers when he grabbed her hand, "If ya don't mind Darlin', I think I'm more comfortable with ya pullin' these off. I'm not too keen on havin' scissors near my junk, I don't care how sexy ya are." Ryanne let out an unexpected laugh but nodded her head and set the scissors aside. Murphy braced himself as she grabbed the waistband of his boxers and slowly peeled them down his hips. He gently lifted himself up so she could get them off. Ryanne felt her face get hot as she was face to face with is manhood. At the thought of how endowed he was, she flushed a deep red. Murphy laughed to himself at the sight of her embarrassment. Had he not been in so much pain, it would've really turned him on. He thought he'd be embarrassed that she was undressing him but considering the circumstances, he figured it was an exception. His heart swelled with love for her as he watched her turn on the water so she could bathe him. She was so careful not to hurt him and depsite that she was covered in his blood and her hair was a mess, he thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He never thought she would be able to do this for him. Any other woman would've called an ambulance or freaked out but he had begged her not to and she had listened and respected his wishes. He knew at that moment that he was madly in love with her. He cursed to himself that he wasn't able to take her in his arms and kiss her. He was dying to make love to her and that surprised him. For the first time in his life he wasn't interested in a one night stand. He wanted to experience every part of her, to taste every inch until they were both exhausted and spent and then he wanted to do it all over again. His feelings surprised him but he knew that she was worth it and that he would never feel this way about anybody for the rest of his life. Ryanne had gotten the water to luke warm and had begun to gently bathe Murphy, making sure to mind his wounds. "You definitely need stitches" She said and then turning towards the door she called for Ashling who was still in the bedroom. Ashling poked her head but kept her eyes lowered. "I finally got ahold of Connor. He and Eunice are on their way." Ryanne nodded, "Good, they'll know what to do." Ashling nodded, "Connor said he was getting someone over here to help. Do you need me to do anything else?" Ryanne pointed to the sink, "Get me the peroxide and bandages from under the sink and then get the bottle of whiskey from the kitchen." Ashling looked confused as she handed her the supplies from under the sink. "You're going to pour whiskey on his wounds?! I thought they only did that in the movies." Ryanne sighed, "It's for him to drink, now hurry." Ashling ran to the kitchen and immediately locked the back door that was left open. she grabbed the bottle of whiskey and ran back to the bathroom. "Here" she said handing Ryanne the bottle, "What else?" Ryanne opened the bottle and took a swig before handing it to Murphy, "Put some towels on my bed so he can lie down, then go wait for Connor." Ashling ran out to do as she was told. Murphy took a drink of whiskey and winced as Ryanne poured the peroxide over his cuts. "You're pretty good under pressure" he told her, taking another drink. Ryanne shook her head, "My daddy always told me to keep a level head no matter what. Panicking doesn't solve anything." She grabbed a towel and began trying to dry him the best she could. "You'll have to help me keep pressure on these cuts, they're bleeding pretty bad." He nodded as she placed his hands over the wounds and placed hers over the others. They sat in silence for a few moments until she heard commotion in the other room. Connor came barreling into the bathroom and his face dropped when he saw his brother lying in the tub. He knelt next to him and looked him over, "Mother of God, Murph what the fuck happened?" Connor grabbed Murphy's head and cradled it to his chest. He tried hard to fight back the tears. "I tell ya later, just help me get to the bed." Connor didn't even need Ryanne's help as he practically carried Murphy to the bed himself. He sat Murphy down and then grabbed some towels to cover his naked state. "I got Eunice outside waitin' for Doc. You'll be okay brother." Murphy patted Connor's shoulder as he slowly laid back on to the bed. He glaned over at Ryanne who was still standing in her underwear and was covered with blood. Murphy gave her a faint smile, "Ya best get yourself cleaned up and get some clothes on." He looked back at Connor, "Get ready brother, it's that time again." he said and then he passed out.


	11. Chapter 11

An hour later everyone was crammed into Ryanne's bedroom, standing around Murphy. An old man by the name of "Doc" had shown up and began stitching up Murphy's deeper wounds. The cuts that weren't as deep were cauterized with a hot knife. Ryanne cringed when she saw this technique and took a step forward, "Should he really be doing that?" she whispered to Connor. Connor nodded, "It's the best way to stop the bleedin' and prevent infection." Her stomach turned at the smell of burnt flesh. Murphy was in and out of consciousness and if he was feeling any pain, he didn't show it. Ryanne was feeling it for him. Her heart broke at the thought of how used to this lifestyle Connor and Murphy had become. It was nothing to them if they had to get stitched up or burnt with a knife. It was all done in the name of justice. She eyed Doc warily and was pretty sure that he wasn't a real doctor despite the moniker that was given to him. She leaned into Connor again, "He's not really a doctor is he?" Connor snorted and shook his head, "Nah, he's a bartender. Owns McGinty's down the ways there. We used to spend a lot of time in his place back in the day. He's the closest we had to a Da for a long time. He's taken us in and patched us up more times than I can count. He's a good man." Doc finished stitching Murphy and had also bound his ribs with kinesiology tape. The poor guy looked like half a mummy once Doc was finished with him. Doc stood up and adjusted his glasses, Connor took him by the arm and helped steady him. Doc patted Connor's arm, "He'll be okay. He just needs to g-g-get some rest" he stuttered. "C-c-c-c...FUCK! ASS!...call me if ya need anythin'" Ryanne stared at the man wide eyed and was taken aback by the severity of his Tourettes. She still managed to offer him a smile and thank him for his help. He nodded to her politely as he put on his fedora and coat and Connor walked him outside. Ryanne sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Murphy's hair as she silently prayed that he would pull through. She wasn't a religious person but she felt that it couldn't hurt. Seriously, if they were really doing "God's work" then she felt that he should at least protect them. Eunice walked over and placed a hand on Ryanne's shoulder, "Honey, why don't you get some rest? You look awful, why don't we get you cleaned up and in bed?" Ryanne smiled at her but shook her head, "I'm fine, I want to be here if he needs something." Eunice nodded and then back away. They heard another voice in the living room with Connor and both went to see what was going on. Connor was talking to a short Hispanic man in his thirties who had his hair in an eighties style mullet. The man greeted Eunice by kissing her on the cheek and then turned to Ryanne. He raised his eyebrows as he looked her up and down and took in her messy state. She had thrown on a robe but still had blood on her arms and face and her hair was a disaster. Connor introduced the two, "Rye, this is our boy Romeo. Rome, this is Ryanne." Romeo shook Ryanne's hand and gave a low whistle. "I can see why Murphy likes you. You don't scare easy do ya?" Ryanne chuckled lightly and shook her head, "I guess not." Romeo nodded his head and turned to Connor, "She's a keeper." Connor smacked Romeo's back and led him to the couch. "So what do ya know?" Connor asked. Romeo shook his head, "Not much man. I got some of my people on the street asking around but as of right now, no one is talking bro. That tells me that either people really don't know anything or they're scared to talk." Connor's jaw tensed and he slammed his fist down on the arm of the couch, "Damn it! We need to know who did this! I don't care what it takes Rome, get some answers." Romeo nodded silently. Ryanne stepped forward and said what she had been thinking the whole time, "I think Gary is behind this. I mean, it makes sense right?" Connor cocked his head as he considered her words, "He's still in the hospital ain't he? Besides, he can't talk can he?" Everyone looked around at each other and shrugged. "Well fuck!" Connor cursed, "I guess we better start with ol' Gary." Romeo stood up, "Yeah but we can't just walk into the hospital. Not unless you wanna get nabbed by the cops and if Gary is behind this, who's to say that he doesn't have someone watching his back?" Connor paced the living room as he thought of a plan. "I'll do it" Eunice said, "I know someone that works the night shift, she can get me the info." Connor shook his head, "No babe I don't want ya goin' in there either. It's took risky." Eunice patted his cheek, "It'll be fine. She owes me anyway. I kept her brother out of prison. I'll call her in about an hour, she should be off by then." Connor nodded and kissed her. He looked completely worn out and haggard. "We should all get some sleep" Ryanne said yawning, "Connor, you and Eunice are welcome to stay if you want." Eunice cleared her throat, "oh no we couldn't impose. We can get a room." Connor looked at her like she had sprouted an extra head, "I ain't leavin' him alone." Eunice gave him a sympathetic smile, "He won't be alone Hun, Ryanne is here with him." Connor stared at her but did not budge or speak. Ryanne knew that meant that he was holding his ground and he was not about to give in. Eunice nodded and held up her hands, "Okay baby, okay. Stay here. I'm gonna go and see what I can find out. I'll call you later." She kissed Connor's cheek and smiled at Ryanne as she headed out the door. Romeo also prepared to leave, "Hey I'll call you later if I hear any news. Get some rest man, he'll be okay." Connor shook Romeo's hand, "I have no doubt about that. His will to pull through comes from his sheer desire for vengeance. He'll survive just to get his revenge." Romeo shook Ryanne's hand once more, "It was an honor to meet you." Ryanne smiled and nodded as she walked him to the door. Once the door was locked, Ryanne walked to Connor and gave him a hug. They held each other and she could feel Connor shaking in her arms. It took her a moment to realize that he was crying. She rubbed his back, "It'll be okay Con. He'll be okay. He's such a strong man, you both are." Connor nodded and wiped his face with his hand, "I don't know what he would've done had you not been here. What would've happened to him...thank you for savin' him." Ryanne hugged him once more. She was too tired to speak. "I'm gonna take a shower" she told Connor, "You need to sleep. Take the couch or the love seat in my room." He nodded as they walked to her bedroom. They stood staring at Murphy for a moment who was still passed out. His breathing had seemed to return to normal and he was lightly snoring. Connor peeled off his coat and sank into the love seat in the corner. Ryanne handed him a pillow and a blanket and as she did, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down to him, kissing her cheek. "I love ya" he whispered. She kissed him back, "I love you too. Now go to sleep." Connor laid down and was out within seconds, Ryanne could hear him snoring as she gathered some fresh pajamas and headed to the bathroom. She was spent a good forty five minutes in the shower washing the blood off her skin and off of the shower walls. She brushed her teeth and was towel drying her hair as she walked back into the bedroom. She smiled as she heard Connor and Murphy's snoring completely in sync. She tied her hair back and quietly climbed into the bed beside Murphy. She was grateful for having a king size mattress to accommodate the both of them. She wanted him to have as much room as possible and didn't want to worry about bumping him. She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek, "Please be okay" she whispered. She noticed the sun coming up as she finally curled up and fell asleep.

 

 

Two days later...

 

 

Murphy finally started to come around and was quite cantankerous after sleeping for two days straight. He immediately demanded a cigarette which Ryanne normally didn't allow in the house but she made an exception and cracked open the bedroom window. He puffed on his cigarette and sighed as if it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Connor came into the room and immediately started asking questions about Murphy's attack. Murphy waved him away as he tried to sit up and then winced in pain. Both Ryanne and Connor moved to his side to help him. "You should stay in bed" Ryanne stated. Her concern warmed him and he rubbed her arm, "I'm okay babe. I need to sit up. Besides, I gotta take a leak... Excuse my language." She rolled her eyes and took a step back, "Well your brother can help you with that part." Connor put Murphy's arm around his shoulder as he hoisted him up from the bed. Murphy groaned and took a minute to gather his strength. Connor helped him to the restroom and before Ryanne walked out of the room, Connor said "Are ya sure ya don't want to hold it for him?" Ryanne scoffed and flipped him the bird. Murphy chimed in, "Aye, I probably shouldn't lift anythin' too heavy." Ryanne shook her head at the both of them, "I'm so glad you're feeling better Murphy." She heard them both laugh as she left the room. She went into the kitchen and prepared a tray of food for Murphy. She wanted him to eat something to get his strength up. She had prepared her homemade chicken soup just for him. She also added some crackers, juice and coffee on the tray. She returned to the room as Connor was helping Murphy back into bed and the two were already bickering, "Christ, can't ya let me take a piss before ya start bombardin' me with questions?" Murphy was already annoyed with Connor who was pestering him again about his attackers. "I've already got Rome out on the streets. I just gotta know what ya remember about that night." Murphy ignored him and turned his attention to Ryanne who was standing there holding a tray of food and listening to them argue. "That the best lookin' thing I've seen in ages" Murphy said. Ryanne set the tray down on his lap and beamed proudly, "Thanks, It's my homemade chicken soup. I think you'll really like it." Murphy grabbed her hand and kissed it, "Aye, the soup looks just fine Darlin' but I was talkin' about you." Ryanne instantly blushed and gave an awkward chuckle. Murphy continued to stare at her until she pulled her hand back and turned away. "Connor are you hungry?" she asked trying to distract herself. Connor nodded and feigned hurt, "Aye, where be my soup? How come I don't get a tray as well?" Ryanne smacked his shoulder, "because you're well enough to get it yourself!" Connor laughed and left the room, heading to the kitchen to get his soup. Ryanne sat on the love seat and watched as Murphy ate. He closed his eyes as he spooned the soup greedily into his mouth. "Mmmmm, this is so good Rye. The best I ever had, really." She smiled at him and he ate the rest of the food in a hurry. "I guess I was starvin'. Thank ya so much Lovely." Ryanne took the tray from his lap, "You're very welcome. Let me know if you need anything else. I've managed to get a lot of the blood out of your clothes but we'll get some new stuff anyway." He shook his head at her, "I don't know how we got so lucky. You're such an amazin' woman...I love ya Ryanne." She gasped and almost dropped the tray. She wasn't expecting him to confess those kinds of feelings, especially so soon. They hadn't even really kissed and they hardly had any time alone together. How could he feel that way? What did he base that love on? She stood speechless as they stared at each other. He raised his eyebrows and looked a little embarrassed, "Say somethin'. Even it's just to tell me that I'm stupid." She opened her mouth to speak when Connor walked back in the room sipping a cup of coffee. "Damn that soup was good Rye, you'll make a fine housewife yet." he joked as he swatted her behind. Murphy frowned at him, "Hey, watch that hand lest ya want me to cut it off ya." Connor laughed and plopped on the bed making Murphy groan in discomfort. Ryanne set the tray on the dresser and then sat on back on the love seat. Connor looked between her and Murphy and grinned, "Did I interrupt somethin'?" "No" she answered, "yes" Murphy replied at the same time. Ryanne looked at Murphy who gave her a sad smile and looked away. Connor cocked his head and continued to look back and forth between the two. "Well, movin' on then. Murph what do ya remember about the other night?" Murphy was quiet for a moment and Ryanne caught the hurt look that he shot in her direction. Her heart sank as she realized that he took her silence as rejection. She didn't mean for it to come off that way but she was so stunned by his words and the sincerity of them. She didn't want to talk to him about it with Connor around and hoped that they would get some alone time soon so she could explain herself and why she was so hesitant to accept his love. Murphy finally spoke, "I didn't see who it was but there was more than one guy. Possibly three. I couldn't see their faces, it was dark. They came up from behind, I think they was waitin' for me after I left the bar." Connor's jaw started to tick again and the anger rose inside of him. "Rye thinks it was Gary. Payback for the ass whoopin' ya gave him." Murphy nodded, "Could be but it definitely wasn't him. He woulda had someone do it for him, paid someone maybe." Ryanne remembered what Gary had told her when they went on their date. "The night we went out, me and Gary, he told me that he had just made some connections with these new guys that were in town. He said he thought they were from New York, mob type guys. They had just made a contract with him for some business deal. I think we should look into them." Connor jumped up and fished his phone out of his pocket, "I'm gonna call Rome" he said as he left the room. Murphy stared at Ryanne and she thought he looked angry. When he began to speak, she knew she was right, "Ya went out with that dickhead?" He seethed, "The one who was beatin' on ya and callin' ya names? What? Are ya datin' him? Is that the kinda man ya want?!" Ryanne felt ashamed even though she had no reason to. Murphy moved to get up but then fell back. He grabbed his side as he tried to breath through the pain. Ryanne quickly moved to his side but he pushed her away. She gave him a hurt look and he sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." She sat next to him and helped him sit up. "We dated when I first moved here but it was only for a short time. It didn't work out. We were just too different. I only went out with him recently because I owed him for getting that car. It was a harmless date or was supposed to be. He told me how he felt about me and when I told him that it wasn't mutual, I could tell he got upset. I bruised his ego. I think that's why he came into the bar that night. He was just being an asshole and was sore at me for rejecting him. There's nothing between us." She wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain all that to Murphy but she did it anyway. He looked at her and the words that came out of his mouth pierced her heart. "Well, at least I ain't the only one that ya rejected. He and I have that in common. We both love a woman who doesn't love us back." Ryanne's eyes began to tear, "Stop it. I never rejected you. I just didn't expect you to feel that way for me so soon. I'm sorry but all this is happening all at once and I don't know how to handle it. I do care about you Murphy." He sneered at her, "I don't want ya to CARE about me Ryanne. I'll tell ya what, since this is 'all happenin' all at once' and ya can't keep up, I'll make it real easy for ya. Don't worry about me tellin' ya how I feel ever again. I've said it once and I won't beg someone to love me. You know how I feel but I won't inconvenience ya with my feelings anymore. Is that good enough for ya?" Ryanne now had tears streaming down her face. She knew he was just feeling rejected and that he didn't really mean what he said but the words still hurt all the same. He stood up on his own despite the pain and began limping to the restroom. Connor walked in and Ryanne lowered her face so that he wouldn't see her crying. "Hey I just heard from Eunice. Gary checked himself out of the hospital a few days ago. Got picked up in a limo apparently. Seems he does have some friends in high places." Murphy nodded and continued to the bathroom, "Get me my fuckin' clothes. We're goin' to find that prick."


End file.
